Kancolle: The Iron Bottom Saga
by Thorthemighty321
Summary: Its over, the Combined might of both the Americans and Japanese have destroyed the main Abyssal HQ in the Pacific it was located in Iron Bottom Sound. And they won. Thus Admiral Terrance Shane who is CINC for the Pacific Fleet orders one of his Carrier Girls to put together a fleet to find as many MIA ship girls as possible plus find POW camps. Might get graphic. Review pls. Done!
1. Prologue

Author's Note: I don't own anything save my OCs if any.

For those who don't know after WWII the Japanese Destroyer Yukikaze served side by side with American Destroyer USS Benson as they were both given to China, thus Yukikaze is very close to Benson.

XXXX

Walking through the hallway of a memorial was a young girl. She was dressed in black and holding a clutch of flowers. Her name was the destroyer girl Fubuki. She walked with a noticeable limp, as well as a perceptible sadness in her eyes. She was one of the heroes from the Iron Bottom Sound Operation, at least one of the heroes who _survived_. That battle had seen not only the almost complete and utter destruction of the Third Torpedo Squadron. It had also seen the 5th Carrier Division lose a member while the 1st and 2nd both took extremely heavy damage. It had also seen the end of numerous cruisers and destroyers from both the Japanese and American Ship girl programs.

She will never forget seeing the look on Yuudachi's face when she had acted as a decoy to draw off Abyssal Heavy Dreadnoughts after the Third Torpedo Squadron had been hammered by Abyssal Heavy Bombers whose attack had severely damaged Fubuki and Naka, crippled Mutsuki, lightly damaged Yuudachi, moderately damaged Sendai, and sent Jintsu to the bottom. Then when the Third Torpedo Squad was trying to evac from the area, they were mistaken for the enemy by no-less than fifteen American TBF/TBM Avenger Torpedo Planes. By the time the pilots had realized their mistake they had already dropped their fish and could only watch helplessly as the Mk XIII air dropped torpedoes knifed through the water and then impacted and sank Mutsuki and Sendai. Crippled Fubuki, and forced them to scuttle Naka.

However Fubuki also knew that the Americans still held hope for Yuudachi as she was listed MIA or Missing in Action, which Fubuki hated because she knew she was gone. However she would never forget the joy that Kongou Sisters had felt when an American Patrol Boat had found a battered and badly injured Kirshima even though the Japanese Ship Girl Program had listed her as KIA shortly after the Operation. It had been a sheer stroke of luck that the new American Patrol Boat _Valiant_ and her crew decided to make a sweep of the area around an island known as Plum Pudding Island. They had found Kirshima alive somehow against all odds, the destroyer Benson laying not too far from her, obviously having rescued her and bringing her to that island. While the Destroyer Yukikaze had signaled them with a shard of a mirror, she was distraught at something Benson had done. However it was a sad thing to note that in saving Kirshima, Benson just to make sure that she survived had given up her life and had imbued Kirshima her with remaining strength and her spirit to keep her alive.

As a result Kirshima now had some attributes that Benson had. Mainly that her bangs were now sandy blonde instead of dark grey as well as on her right shoulder of her uniform she had patch that was the patch for the American Ship girl Program with some modifications, said patch had an Anchor while behind it there were two M1 Garand Rifles angled so that the bayonets at the end crossed, but one of the Rifles was replaced by a Katana Sword, and behind all of that was a Japanese Imperial Navy Flag. However Yukikaze had begged for Benson not to sacrifice herself to save Kirshima because she didn't want to have to say goodbye again. But Benson knew what had to be done and had told Yukikaze that she would watch over her from the after-life. That had calmed Yukikaze down, along with a reassuring hug.

Fubuki had finally reached her destination at the memorial. The location where her Squadron mates names were. She put the flowers at the base of that section then knelt down in prayer.

After she had finished she stood and was about to leave when she saw someone else at the Memorial the portion where the Aircraft Carrier names were. The person standing there was an American, Fubuki could tell because she was dressed in NWUs and the fact she had a ship ball cap perched on her head, not to mention on the shoulder that was facing Fubuki was an American Flag.

Fubuki quickly went over the grim tally in her head once more. 3 Battleships sunk, 1 Fleet Carriers sunk, 2 Escort Carriers sunk, 10 Heavy Cruisers sunk, 12 Light Cruisers sunk, as well as twenty destroyers sunk, plus two submarines sunk, that they knew of as of right now, that didn't include all the ship girls who had suffered damage or had suffered so much damage they had to be scrapped, not to mention the ones who were missing. However the losses had been worth it. Despite those losses they had managed to open a channel in the Abyssal defense network and allowed six C-130J Super Hercules Transports to come in and drop MOABs onto the HQ for the Abyssals, wiping it off the face of the Earth in a tremendous explosion that light up the sky.

Fubuki decided to greet the other girl. What was going to ensue was an adventure that Fubuki would never forget.

XXXX

The Carrier Girl Enterprise sighed as she looked at the names Wasp, Hornet, Saratoga, and Shoukaku. It had been the Admiral in charge of the Operation that had left the carriers defenseless, when it appeared the surface fleet was on the verge of being routed he had ordered the Carrier escorts to throw themselves into fray. As a result it had bitten them in the ass, when a force of heavy cruisers, led by a Ta-class battleship managed to sneak by the main fight and raised hell among the carrier girls. Plus they fought with brutal efficiency and with no quarter, she had watched as one heavy cruiser ignored Wasp's attempt to surrender, even though she had her hands up in surrender because she knew she wouldn't have been able to outrun a force led by a Ta-class an enemy heavy cruiser however just saw that as a free kill. She had watched helplessly as the Ri-class had after a brief struggle overpowered Wasp forced her to her knees and then planted a 8in HE shell into the back of her head, the result hadn't been pretty. Saratoga had probably saved them all, she had closed with the enemy her Navy Cutlass Pattern 1941 being put to work, and she had managed to save her life as well as a mauled first and second carrier divisions, before she had been overpowered and killed, but not before she managed to kill the Ta-class with a sword, as well as three Ri-class Heavy Cruisers. As far as Enterprise knew, Kaga, Akagi, Souryu, and Hiyru felt like they owed their lives to her in a life debt but it was debt they would never be able repay. The reason Saratoga's actions had probably saved them was that it bought time for a Batdivi to come back save their sorry asses.

Of course then there was that air raid after the battle, they were clear and out of the battle space, but an Abyssal Airfield Princess had something to say about that.

 _Flashback_

 _October 26_ _th_ _2019_ (In case you're wondering, that day was a part of the Battle of Santa Cruz)

 _Fifty miles from the Santa Cruz Islands_

" _Come on Shoukaku, hang in there we are almost out of the battle area." Zuikaku told her sister, as the 5_ _th_ _Carrier Division moved together, both members were moderately damaged along with a Moderately Damaged Enterprise, an moderately Hornet, plus the severely damaged 1_ _st_ _and 2_ _nd_ _Carrier divisions which were under tow by tug boat girls Navajo, Chippewa, Apache, and Sioux respectively. Naturally the girls of the 1_ _st_ _and 2_ _nd_ _Carrier Divisions weren't that happy but grateful for the tow._

 _The plan was they were to meet up with the USS_ Tarawa _which was to take them to Sydney Australia there they would then get on to a FRED which would take them to Japan where the 1_ _st_ _, 2_ _nd_ _, and 5_ _th_ _Carrier divisions would get off, while Enterprise and Hornet would stay on the thing till it arrived at Pearl Harbor Hawaii same with the respective escorts._

 _However that's when trouble started, the Battleship girl West Virginia detected it first. "Uh oh, here comes trouble. Abyssal air raid in bound, composition is 75 aircraft: 30 fighters and 45 bombers, designate Raid 1. I'd recommend that we launch fighters and get a move on." West Virginia said. Battleship girl West Virginia wore during combat Ops NWUs, however hers had a dazzle camo scheme on it, she had wavy blonde and blue eyes._

" _Roger that, come on Hornet let's launch some fighters." Enterprise told her younger sister. Hornet was wearing NWUs for the combat ops but she usually wore summer whites it was just SOP for the Americans. Hornet had a pair of lucid brown eyes, and black hair that was tied up in a braid and ran a quarter of the way down her back, and a mild skin complexion, while her sister Enterprise had a pair of startling grey eyes, with sandy blonde hair that was cropped short, and a fair tan when she wasn't doing combat Ops she usually either wore summer whites or service dress grey._

" _Right boss, come on Shoukaku and Zuikaku we could use some help." Hornet called. Together the four carrier girls raised their bows and compound crossbows and let the arrows fly. The arrows which turned into 16 A6M2 Zero Fighters and 12 FM-2 Wildcats and 12 F4U Corsairs. After giving the planes directions they flew off engines thundering to engage the enemy. However it had been a clever ruse thankfully Hornet had then launched another 12 FM-2 Wildcats. Then the Cruiser Atlanta detected the real air raid, plus the planes had just disappeared over the horizon at WEP to engage the enemy._

" _Holy crap! Large force of enemy planes detected! Composition 150 light bombers and 50 heavy fighters! Designate raid 2! Where the hell did that come from? Range twenty miles closing fast! All units prepare for AA combat!" She called out. Atlanta like the rest of her American comrades was wearing NWUs however when she wasn't on a combat op she usually wore khaki pants and a white starched button up shirt. She had amber colored eyes and brown hair._

" _WHAT!?" Enterprise barked incredulous. She was about to order her fighters to turn around and come back to cover the fleet just as the radio went haywire as the fighter attacked the force Abyssal planes known as raid one._

 _Hornet was quick on the draw thankfully. She ordered her fighters tersely to go after the Abyssal air raid that was now fifteen miles away. Meanwhile the ship girls prepared themselves for AA combat. Bringing AA RADARs online, orienting their AA guns toward the location where the enemy planes were coming from, beginning to pull some basic maneuvers, and in the case of tugs getting ready to detach their tow cables in case it was needed._

 _The FM-2 Wildcats came in and dove on their opponents taking this much larger Abyssal air raid by surprise and in their first pass spooked the heavy fighters so much that they went into a dive to the deck. However then the FM-2 Wildcat drivers discovered that the Abyssal light bombers were like porcupines in terms of being able to defend themselves. Thus they were able to keep the fighters at bay. The enemy bombers were now two minutes out from being at the edge of max range for the 5in/38 caliber naval guns and 10cm 'Long Barrel' naval guns._

 _Atlanta was in her element, she could tell everyone was waiting for her to give the command to open fire with flak rounds. Then her AAFCS got a solution. "NOW! All units commence AA fire!" She barked pointing her ever trusty riding whip toward the enemy. The thunderous roar of guns was incredible as the 5in guns opened fire sending shells down range that exploded in black puffs of smoke, the black puffs looked harmless, but each puff of smoke was the center of a storm of shrapnel. The Abyssal light bombers fell from the sky quickly but there was just too many of them. Soon the rattling booms of the 40mm Bofor AA guns joined the noise of 5in/38 caliber and 10cm 'Long Barrel' guns firing, throwing up even more steel for the Abyssal planes to fly through. However it still wasn't enough and soon the rapid firing chatter of the 20mm and 25mm AA guns joined the fray. The sky was being filled with tracers and flak bursts._

 _However then the Abyssal planes lined up their targets and dove. Braving a hail of bullets as they hurtled toward their targets. Enterprise saw what was about to happen too the girls of the 5_ _th_ _and yelled. "SHOUKAKU ZUIKAKU SEPARATE NOW!" Shoukaku let go of Zuikaku and began an evasion drill that even Enterprise's own bombing squadron 6 would have trouble hitting her. The Shoukaku sisters were firing as much AA as they could. Three bombers got through and angled for Shoukaku, several bangs as well as rapid-fire chatter joined in as the 3in/25 caliber DP guns and Old Faithful aka the M2 Browning in dual mounts on the tugs were finally able to join fray. The sudden appearance of more flak bursts as well as streams of tracers threw the aim of the first two light bombers off just enough that when they dropped their payloads of one 1,500lb bomb and two 250lb bombs they missed but absolutely drenched Shoukaku. The last bomber on the other hand took a direct hit from one of the 3in/25 DP guns and was set afire and lost the ability to dump its payload. So instead it plummeted toward Shoukaku at nearly 350 miles per hour. She tried franticly to dodge the Abyssal bomber that was going to go kamikaze on her. But to no avail. The Abyssal light bomber slammed into Shoukaku and exploded. Shoukaku screamed in pain as she toppled backwards afire the flames quickly reached a magazine and thunderclap boom rocked the area when the fire and smoke from the blast cleared away Shoukaku was gone. Zuikaku's wail of anguish made Enterprise wince in sympathy._

 _Enterprise barely managed to dodge two attackers that had dropped their payloads then she saw that she was going to take a hit from a third in a knee-jerk reaction she put her flight deck shield up, which was attached to her right arm, there was a dull thud as a trio of Abyssal bombs slammed into the thing but none of them exploded. "Well I'd be damn the bombs that hit me were duds." Enterprise muttered before opening fire again with her left forearm mounted 5in/38 caliber gun. Enterprise watched in horror as a pair of Abyssal bombers came in still lugging their loads and were on fire to boot came hurtling toward her it seemed with the intention to go kamikaze. When suddenly a burst of tracers shot across their noses as one of Hornet's FM-2 Wildcats made a pass. The two bombers adjusted their course slightly as they were startled by the tracers and went screaming over Enterprise's head missing her by scant inches. Then a massive explosion erupted behind her the shockwave throwing her onto her face. When she got back to her feet she looked around and her heart sank. Hornet was gone, she was dead and in a better place. The radio exploded into noise as the pilots of Hornet's FM-2 Wildcats got mad as all hell, as they heard there carrier go off the air. In a show of flying that put even the crack fighters of the 1_ _st_ _and 2_ _nd_ _Carrier divisions as well Enterprise's Fighting Squadrons 6 and 10 to shame the FM-2s that were in the air literally swept the skies clear of Abyssal planes and even then they were still made as hell._

 _The total had been grim, the attack had left West Virginia a wallowing mess in terms of her outfit. Plus the Carriers Shoukaku and Hornet were sunk as were four destroyers and a cruiser. It didn't help that the FM-2 Wildcats from Hornet began to line up any available flight deck they could find to land. Most landed on Enterprise but a few landed on Zuikaku and one even came in for a landing on Kaga. Plus the pilots of said Wildcat fighters were mad as hell. However it was understandable, but Enterprise couldn't believe it, because in just twenty short minutes, two carriers had been sunk, as had four destroyers and a light cruiser, plus the raid had turned the three battleships in the fleet into floating wrecks. Had this operation really been worth all the lives that had been lost?_

 _End Flashback_

XXXX

Enterprise was about to walk out when she heard a voice speak from behind her. "Um excuse me?" Enterprise turned around and was a bit surprised to see a Japanese Tin Can standing in front of her.

"Hello, there. Which destroyer are you? For some reason I am really good with American Destroyers, but not so much with the Japanese Tin Cans." Enterprise said.

"My name is Fubuki, I was a member of the Third Torpedo Squadron but now I am on leave and wondering if I am going to be scrapped." Fubuki said as she introduced herself.

Enterprise winced inwardly she remembered the friendly fire incident that involved the Third Torpedo Squadron quite vividly. Even though the TBF/TBM Avenger Torpedo Planes weren't from her air wing they had been escorted by fighters from her air wing. "I am Enterprise, also ouch I heard about that friendly fire incident. I hate to tell you this but you may not know it. But we lost four fleet carriers in the Iron Bottom Sound Op. plus the Carrier, Battleship, cruiser, and destroyer losses were brutal and you don't even want to know about how many ships are missing in action." Enterprise said with sympathy in her voice.

"What? No way! The only loss I heard about was Shoukaku. Who else did we lose?" Fubuki said stunned.

"We lost Saratoga CV-3, Wasp CV-7, and Hornet CV-8, I also heard that we lost Hiyou Kai, and Ryuujou Kai Ni both escort carriers. That doesn't even account for the aviation cruiser and battleships we lost. Plus I know for a fact that one of the battleships we lost was Mutsu, we also lost the Battleships: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Plus we lost the Aviation Battleships Ise, and Fuso, Aviation Cruisers Mogami, and Kumano. Heavy Cruisers Quincy, Myoukou, Chicago, Astoria, Maya, Newport News, Kako Kai, Aoba, San Francisco, and Boston. Light Cruisers Naka Kai Ni, Sendai Kai, Jintsu Kai, Reno, Omaha, Denver, Cleveland, Yura Kai, Isuzu Kai, Helena, Boise, and Flint. Destroyers Benson, Mutsuki, Arashi, Inazuma, Umikaze, Dale, Hull, Dewey, Little, John Hood, Laffey (I), Hobby, Akizuki Kai, Asashio Kai, Wakba Kai, Nowaki Kai, and literally the entirety of Desron 56, plus Desron 9, as well as the flush deckers Dallas, and Du Pont. The losses were murderous among the destroyers. Plus we lost the submarines I-8, Narwhal, Sargo, I-52, and Gato." Enterprise said, she looked like she wanted to hit something. The losses were way higher among the carriers, battleships, destroyers and submarines than Fubuki had been told.

"That's horrible" Fubuki whispered.

"Tell me about it, you don't even want to see how long the list is for those who are MIA, I have the damn thing is about as long as my arm. To put it in words, let's just say among the missing is the entirety of DesRon 21, DesRon 29, plus at least three destroyers from DesRon 47, plus several CVEs and DEs. Several Heavy, Light, and Aviation Cruisers. A member from the Third Torpedo Squadron, plus four battleships, and three submarines. I don't even want to go in depth, however there are some damn good ships on that list. I don't want to give up hope that they are gone. Because if there is one thing that's worse than being listed as KIA, it's being listed as KIA body not recovered." Enterprise said angrily.

"I wasn't in the middle of it. I heard that the Nagato Sisters, the Kongou Sisters, Fuso, Yamashiro, Ise, Hyuuga, plus a large number of Cruisers and destroyers, were though. Some stories of bravery we will never know about, and there are some stories about the absolute horror of that battle as well." Fubuki said.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact Fubuki. To tell you the truth. I was just coming here just asking for my fallen sisters in arms to watch over me and a task group that Admiral Shane has ordered me to put together." Enterprise said.

"Admiral Shane as in Admiral Terrance Shane?" Fubuki asked.

"The same" Enterprise replied.

"What's the task group for? What is its mission going to be?" Fubuki asked curiously.

Enterprise grinned. "The objective of this task group is to locate any Abyssal Prison Camps in the area, preform rescue operations get all the prisoners out of those places and then mark the place so B-52s can come in and then bomb it to hell. Also while our orders don't explicitly say so, we are going to be keeping an eye out for survivors from the Iron Bottom Sound Operation as well as any Abyssal Stragglers from said battle." Enterprise said.

"I would love to join you, so I can help find my friend Yuudachi, but I am probably never going to be able set sail again." Fubuki said sadly.

"Fubuki, I will try my best to get you off the inactive list. No promises but I will see what we can do." Enterprise said.

XXXX

A ship girl roughly the size of a light cruiser, was sitting on the cot in her cell in this Abyssal Prison Camp. She had messy hair, a hair clip and a white scarf on. She was the destroyer girl Yuudachi. She had been captured after engaging a force of no less than six Battleship Water Demons with an escort force of two Light Cruiser Demons and four Destroyer Princesses, in order to buy time for her comrades in the battered Third Torpedo Squadron to escape.

However she hadn't gone down without a fight, she was captured after one hell of a brawl where she lived up to her nickname 'Nightmare of the Solomon' and she did so in a big way. She sent two Destroyer Princesses, a Light Cruiser Demon, and five of the Battleship Water Demons to the bottom in crazy as duel to the finish. She also kicked the literal shit out of the other Light Cruiser Demon, the remaining two Destroyer Princesses, and the last Battleship Water Demon.

However Yuudachi knew in her heart she was most likely scheduled to be terminated. How she was going to be terminated she didn't know, nor did she know when she was going to be terminated. However she had to comfort a four-stacker destroyer girl who was currently crying her eyes out. Her name was Pope. Pope had her entire command decimated by the Abyssals. Worse the bastards executed her best friend Peary right in front of her eyes, and as a result it had emotionally crushed her. Yuudachi had witnessed the whole thing. She had watched as Pope had struggled to prevent a Ri-class Heavy Cruiser from taking Peary away to execute her. However the four-stacker had been easily overpowered by the large heavy cruiser which had then had two Ne-class Heavy Cruisers beat the shit out of her. The two Ne-class Heavy Cruisers then had restrained Pope and had forced her to watch as the Ri-class had with little effort crushed Peary's neck into powder. She would never forget Pope's cry of "PEARYYYYY!" as the sound of bones being crushed resounded through the courtyard. Naturally the POWs were horrified that the Abyssals had decided to kill one of the weakest ship girls in the camp.

At the moment Pope was curled up into ball crying like no tomorrow as she lay in Yuudachi's lap. Yuudachi's cell was right on the coast. She would never forget the moment when she heard a voice say. "Yuudachi, you in there?" She had thought she had seen the last of the brave destroyer USS _Walker_ DD-163 and her friend USS _Mahan_ DD-102 when she had been captured and forced into a convoy with other girls who had been captured from the Iron Bottom Sound Operation.

While they were enroute to this infernal camp, they had ran into a storm. The chains binding Walker and Mahan to a Wa-class that had been towing them failed. Plus the Wa-class couldn't even yell "Prisoner escape!" as she then promptly turned turtle and was gone in thirty seconds.

Walker and Mahan had then speed off into the night and disappeared. Walker was wearing a Marine BDU from WWII, with one modification, that modification being that the helmet she was wearing was a bronze doughboy helmet, which was currently perched on her head, it didn't really go well with her looks considering she wore glasses. She was small too, roughly about the size of 6 or 7 year old, with shoulder length black hair, and stunning green eyes.

Mahan for all intents and purposes was the polar opposite of Walker in terms of dress. Mahan wore a First Gulf War era US Marine Corps BDU, it looked kind of funny on her particularly since it was in a camo measure. She had intelligent blue eyes and brown hair that was cropped short.

They were both part of _Wickes_ -class Destroyer, _Little_ -subclass line. Meaning they were old had four-stacks and were armed with four 4in/50 caliber guns and one 3in/25 caliber DP gun, plus two M2 Browning Machine Guns and a M1919 .30 Caliber machine gun, when they were ships. There real teeth were their torpedoes. Plus they could crowd forty knots, not quite make it but they could haul ass when needed. Now that they were ship girls they had only a 4in/50 caliber gun however for some reason Walker had for her hand mount after her second upgrade changed to a Japanese 4.7in DP gun, while Mahan got a 4in/50 Caliber DP gun and two Quadruple torpedo tube launchers that replaced the four triple torpedo tube launchers that she had. Also their AA got heavily upgraded.

"Walker is that you, poi?" Yuudachi asked.

"Yes it's me Yuudachi it's good to hear your voice again. How is the rest of girls in DesRon 29 doing?" Walker asked.

"Peary is dead, as is the entirety of DesDiv 57 and DesDiv 58. They were either sunk in action or have been executed by the Abyssals, Poi. The bastards executed Peary about 12 hours ago, they did it right in front of Pope too, Poi. I have heard they are planning to execute John D. Ford in a few days' time, Poi. Also Walker how on Earth are you able to see through my cell window, it's on the second floor, Poi?" Yuudachi said.

Walker swore long creatively in a language Yuudachi had never heard before. "Yeah about that, um Yuudachi. I am literally standing on the shoulders Mahan who is standing on the Shoulders of Oochi, who is standing on the shoulders of Kitakami." Walker said sheepishly she then had to suppress a laugh to probably prevent herself from losing her balance. As if to prove her point she heard Kitakami speak up. "Walker can you please hurry up, it's getting kind of hard to maintain my footing."

"Poi?" Yuudachi said incredulous.

"No I am not kidding Yuudachi, can I talk to Pope for a minute?" Walker replied.

"Sure, Poi" Yuudachi replied, she then shook the sobbing destroyer that was still curled up in a ball in her lap.

"W-what is it Yuudachi?" Pope said sniffling and looking at Yuudachi in the eyes.

"Come on Pope, Walker is outside our cell window, poi." Yuudachi said soothingly.

"She is?" Pope looked around then spotted Walker.

"Walker! Oh my god! I thought you were dead! How are you doing? Where is Mahan?" Pope asked.

"Okay, Pope you're happy to see me and yes I am not dead. As for Mahan I am currently standing on her shoulders. I am doing okay, I've been looking all over the place for you guys. Remember my second upgrade? Well in said upgrade one of the boilers was replaced with a fuel bunker, and my 3in/25 Caliber DP Gun was replaced by a Japanese 4.7in DP gun, I also had several more gun pits added, these had M2 Browning Machine guns in them. However four of them have Japanese Type 96 25mm AT/AA Triple Gun mounts installed. Why I have the things I don't have the foggiest clue. However I've been using this extended range to search for the Abyssal Prison Camp they were taking you too. Now that I have found it. We're going to position ourselves so we can try and find a friendly force looking for stragglers." Walker said.

Pope sighed, she probably wasn't going to live that long anyways, and she decided to make the most of it. "Walker as of this moment, I am making you the commander of a new unit. The first torpedo division. As of right now Mahan, Oochi, and Kitakami are under your command. Get out of here and go back to Iron Bottom Sound. That's were any search fleets will start their search. Also Walker it has been an honor knowing you, and having you under my command. And may Lady Luck smile upon you." Pope said.

"Thanks, Pope we will get out of here, but I am not joking about the four of us standing on each other's shoulders to reach this second story window. Also the honor was mine." Walker said she then began to climb down, much to dismay of the three girls who were supporting her. Then Mahan climbed down much to protests of Oochi and Kitakami or 'Kitty' as some of the American Ship Girls called her, much to her dismay.

XXXX

As Walker was leading the group of ship girls away from the Abyssal POW camp that was when Oochi recognized something about the harbor they were exiting while they were running dark. After they had cleared the harbor the group had then increased speed to flank, Oochi decided to drop the bombshell.

"Walker, I am not sure if you knew, but that island was W Island." Ochi said.

Walker and Mahan stopped cold. "You mean W Island aka Wake Island? Isn't that were a member of the Mutsuki-class of destroyer girl was sunk?" Walker asked.

Oochi and Kitakami nodded. "Damn, alright then now I have a really bad feeling about what is in the darkest depths of that Abyssal Prison Camp." Walker said.

"I so agree with you Walker, besides let's get the hell out of here." Mahan said.

"Right" Walker said, and the four girls' two destroyers and two torpedo cruisers quickly fled from where the Abyssal Prison Camp was. The destination for these girls was Iron Bottom Sound.

XXXX

Down in the deepest and darkest depths of the Abyssal Prison Camp on W Island chained to a wall with restraints clamped onto her wrists and ankles, was a destroyer girl, part of the Mutsuki-class of destroyer girl. She had been sunk by the Abyssals, but instead of letting her rest in peace on the bottom of the ocean, they had done something incredibly cruel. They had revived her and taken her prisoner, they had performed all kinds of cruel experiments on her, some were painless but made her feel violated others less so. One of the nastier procedures they had done on her had when it was completed had destroyed 75% of her nerve endings throughout her body this occurred when they were looking for something to be a template for the Destroyer Princess. She wanted her pain to end so badly, yet the Abyssals were pumping fluids into her body that kept her alive even though she wanted her pain to end so badly.

Her name was Kisaragi.

Kisaragi was trying her best to prevent the news that she had just been given from crushing her emotionally and spiritually. An Abyssal Guard this one was a Ra-class Assault ship, meaning they had mounted in a rigging similar to that of a Ru-class Battleship crossed with the rigging of a Ne-class Heavy Cruiser.

Mounted in the things that were part of the Ne-class style rig was eight 15in/40 Caliber guns, mounted in two quadruple turrets. While mounted in the rigging from the Ru-class was twenty 12.5in secondary guns mounted in twin gun mounts, ten 6in rapid fire guns in twin mounts, as well as nearly thirty Abyssal 40mm Auto-cannon Quad mounts, twenty Abyssal 5in High-Angle Gun mounts, and one hundred and ninety Abyssal 20mm Machine Guns, in various mountings from twin to octuple, the thing was designed to get within brawling range and then blast her opponent to the stone age.

The damn thing had just told her, that her older sister (or is it younger, hard to tell with the Mutsuki-class of DD) Mutsuki had been sunk in battle. By friendly fire of all things! She wanted to escape, but her strength just wasn't what had been before she had been captured, now she had just enough strength in her body to move her limbs every now and again. She was wondering what was going on in the world.

XXXX

A/N: This is chapter one of my new story.

A/N Again: This will be known as the Iron Bottom Sound Saga. The offensive that took place that was such a bloodbath was because an American SR-71 Blackbird flying at 85,000 feet using a thermal camera found what appeared to be an Abyssal Theater HQ. It was guarded by several large armadas as well as no less than four Anchorage Himes. Plus thousands of destroyers, hundreds of Battleships, Heavy, Light, and AA Cruisers, submarines, plus several dozen various demons and princess class Abyssal Warships. The Americans and Japanese Teamed up for the OP and using Malayalam New Caledonia as a staging point. The reason we don't see the Battle in the first chapter is because of how crazy it would be. However we might see it in dreams or flashbacks, even then it would only be bits and pieces.

I hope you enjoy it.


	2. Chapter I

A/N: I don't own anything, save my OCs. If you have an idea for an OC let me know. First part is loosely based off the first chapter of Fight Our Battlecry

XXXX

 _The destroyer girl looked at her flagship in horror, her right arm a mangled bloody stump, thanks to lucky salvo of High Explosive from the enemy that had scored a nasty set of direct hits, from close range. Shells were still straddling them, some slamming into the wallowing wreck of one of her sisters, thanks to an unknown type of Abyssal Warship. Somewhere already calling it the_ Ra- _class breeching/assault ship. Not that it mattered, her flagship didn't have much of a chance to survive, nor did herself or her two remaining sisters if the battering that they were taking continued, however her flagship gripped her sword tightly with her remaining good hand and charged the enemy assault/breeching ship that had been giving them so much trouble with a trilling war cry, with the intention of killing it with her sword alone as her main battery had been completely knocked out of action._

XXXX

The destroyer girl Inazuma awoke from the nightmare with shout of "TENYRUU!" she looked franticly around the room before figuring out she was still in the damned hospital at Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Hawaii. She had been in critical condition when she had gotten back from the Operation in Iron Bottom Sound, and had thus been put on a supersonic transport bird to Pearl Harbor for medical attention along with her two surviving sisters, plus Pearl Harbor also had a Naval District assigned to it as well. It was another nightmare from another part of that horrible battle. It had been the sort of battle that was like a monster, it had eaten combatants and equipment on both sides. Worse it had claimed not only Tenyruu her flagship, but also her close sister Ikazuchi.

She was reminded she was in the hospital when the door to the room she was in creaked open and nurse Lt. stuck her head in.

"You alright, Inazuma?" She asked.

"No, I am not." She said with a shudder.

"Do you want me to go get Vestal?" She asked referring to the Repair Ship Girl who ran the section of the Hospital were wounded ship girls went if they had injuries that time in the docks couldn't fix.

"Y-yes please, that would be helpful." Inazuma said, stuttering slightly.

"Alright, I'll go get her don't worry Inazuma I am sure this is only a temporary thing with the nightmares." She said as she closed the door.

Figuring she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, she climbed out of bed, changed her hospital gown. Then she walked to the window, she opened the curtains. Which revealed Pearl Harbor in all of its glory.

It was a splendid place that was for sure, in terms of the amounts of wonders it put her Naval District to shame. Small launches were going this and that, tugs were getting ready to help pull the recently repaired USS _John Paul Jones_ out of dry dock. USS _John Paul Jones_ was one of the two ships of steel in the world to have gone nose-to-nose with a Battleship Symbiotic Hime and win. As far as Inazuma knew, only two conventional warships in the history of the war against the Abyssals had succeeded in defeating a Battleship Symbiotic Hime in battle. The other ship that had done it, did it very recently off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii and she was in pretty rough shape, and waiting her turn to go into dry dock. One of her main gun battery turrets, turret three had been destroyed by enemy gunfire from the Battleship Symbiotic Hime. She had several deep gashes ripped into her armor, thanks to having taken several hits to below her twenty 5in Mark 37 twin gun mount emplacements that had replaced her 5in/38 Caliber twin gun mounts, one of the portside CWIS positions had been blown apart by shellfire. Her name was the USS _Missouri_ or as some called her the Mighty Mo', now she knew why she had that nickname it fit her perfectly.

Inazuma watched with fascination as the tugs now slowly guided the _John Paul Jones_ out of dry dock, she may have taken a beating off Johnston Atoll, but she survived. If there was one thing that never ceased to amaze Inazuma it was the fact that, the USN to this day had never backed down during the Abyssal War. Despite the fact that they were out-numbered and out-gunned, they were definitely almost never out-played. They had however pulled off some pretty impressive victories out of the hat that's for sure.

She was so enthralled watching the tugs pull the _John Paul Jones_ out of dry dock, that she was startled when Vestal knocked. "Come" she said, as she walked to one of the chairs in her hospital room.

The repair ship girl Vestal walked in. Vestal was a single ship of her class. She also looked fairly old for a ship girl. Mainly because she had started life as a ship in 1909 as a fleet coiler she was refitted into a repair ship in the year 1913. She served in both World Wars before being scrapped in the year 1946. As a result of her long service she appeared as if she was in her early thirties. She also had stoic blue eyes and black hair that was in a bun, she was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt, with a ship ball cap perched on her head.

"How are you feeling Inazuma?" Vestal asked as she sat down across from Inazuma.

"Pretty beat up inside, if you ask me. I mean, I am grateful that Hibiki and Akatsuki survived. However, I miss Tenyruu and Ikazuchi so much. Plus the nightmares that I have been having where I witness their demise again and again. It's just tearing me up." Inazuma replied.

"I can, relate. Believe me. I was only a single ship class. There were repair ships after me, but they weren't part of the same class." Vestal said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I had no idea Vestal, I mean I do feel a slight connection to all Special Type Destroyers but, I feel a special connection to my sisters." Inazuma said.

"I understand, believe me I do. You know how they say that the life of a repair ship is a boring one." Vestal said.

"Yes, I do why are you asking me this Vestal?" Inazuma asked.

Vestal walked over to the window. "You might not know it, but I was at Pearl Harbor on the Day of Infamy. It was not boring on that day, that's for sure. All in all everything I knew changed over the course of two hours. The United States Pacific Fleet being the most powerful in the Pacific Ocean, all of the Battleships that I had known for years moored proudly against Ford Island, as well as the World being at peace, and the war in Europe being Europe's problem. Changed over the course of one day. At the end of that day, the world was no longer at peace, almost all the ships that I knew that were at Pearl Harbor save the submarines were either heavily damaged or sunk. Plus the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet was no longer the most powerful fleet in the Pacific." She said in a distant tone.

"Each time it's an anniversary for that day. I have nightmare of what happened on that day. It was worse for the Battleship Girl Arizona. She had nightmares on the 7th of every month. To be frank I don't blame her considering what happened to her, during Pearl Harbor. So I can relate to what it's like to lose friends." Vestal said.

"I had no idea." Inazuma said.

"It's alright, Inazuma, I promise you it will be okay. However if I am right, you have exercise routine scheduled in about an hour." Vestal said.

"Yes, I do. Under the watchful eye of Bataan formally USS Bataan CVL-29." Inazuma said.

"Ouch, sucks to be you my friend. She is basically a drill sergeant, and likes to see nothing else than perfection, but, if you can get above average physical scores. I will be able tell you with confidence that she will vouch to have you cleared for active duty. Because to tell you the truth Inazuma. You have to think, will Ikazuchi want you to remain in the emotional state you are in, just because you miss her? No, she wouldn't. If anything she would want you to fight stronger than ever against the Abyssals. In fact if you can get excellent physical scores I will try to get you onto a special task force. It's being head up by one of our Carriers." Vestal said.

"Thanks Vestal, for everything. I am proud to call you a friend." Inazuma said.

XXXX

Meanwhile, in Yokosuka Naval District several thousand miles away from Pearl Harbor Naval Station and District.

Fubuki was holding a letter from that she had just gotten in the mail. It was from Admiral Terrance Shane. It Read.

 _Ms. Fubuki_ (Which Fubuki thought was absurd she wasn't old enough to be called Ms.)

 _I am pleased to tell you that you have been cleared for active duty. Also you will receive new orders, effective immediately. However you will be part of a task force that is based out of Midway Atoll. We already have an Aircraft Carrier as the flagship. However, I am looking for another Carrier, three Battleships, four heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and two more destroyers._

 _Now for the next part of your orders, you are to report to Midway Atoll, with all your equipment by no later than January 15_ _th_ _, 2020. Good Luck on your trip._

 _Sincerely_

 _Admiral Terrance Shane_

She couldn't believe it, Admiral Terrance Shane had managed to pull enough strings to prevent her scrapping. She was sure he now owed nearly a dozen favors but, that didn't matter. She could now 'Get back to work' as the Americans say.

But first she had to inform her Admiral. That way her disappearing off base wouldn't be a major surprise. She also needed to say good bye to Akagi. She always had looked up to her.

After ten minutes of trying to find Akagi, but failing that, she then remembered that Akagi was still in the Australia for repairs. Kaga had arrived yesterday on a transport plane, rudimentary repairs complete. So she walked to the Admiral's Office.

XXXX

Fubuki knocked twice and then heard a curt "Come" from the Admiral.

Fubuki walked in, the Admiral was sitting behind his desk. Looking at Fubuki proudly.

"Admiral, I have received transfer orders to Midway Atoll." Fubuki said after she had saluted and the Admiral returned it.

"I know, Fubuki. In fact believe it or not. It wasn't me who ordered your scrapping. It was those bloated Bakas at HQ for our ship girl program, they thought it would be a waste of resources, they told me, either scrap you or find a way to repair her without using a large amount of resources. Truth be told I got desperate. If it wasn't for Admiral Shane, well we would be having a very different talk. However, good luck and may 'Lady Luck Smile upon you'." The Admiral said.

"Thanks" Fubuki said as she turned and walked out of the office to go down to the docks to launch.

XXXX

Inazuma staggered back into her Hospital Room a little over four and half hours later. Vestal hadn't been kidding when she said Bataan was a real hard ass when it came to doing her job as a physical instructor, that's for sure. She had her running laps, till she got the exact time that she had wanted for a lap, around the jogging track, she had then had her do no less than thirty push-ups, crunches, and rolling squats. To say she was dead dog tired was an understatement.

So she was very surprised and not really in the mood for it when she saw a man, dressed in NWUs, flipping through a magazine. She was about to challenge him, when he saw the distinctive three silver stars of a Vice Admiral. Instantly instinct to always follow an Admiral's orders without question took over.

"Admiral, sir!" Inazuma belted out as she came to attention.

"At ease, ma'am. Vestal said you would be back in a while. She also told me that she didn't know who long it would be, mainly because you got Bataan as your watcher for your exercises. By the way, I am Admiral Terrance Shane." Admiral Shane said as he returned the salute.

Inazuma relaxed and then had thought. _Why would Admiral Shane, the man who is in charge of the United States Navy Ship Girl Program, Pacific Ocean Operating Area want to do with me?_

"Can I help you, admiral?" Inazuma asked.

"Indeed you can, Inazuma. I have heard about what you went through during the Iron Bottom Sound Operation. I knew when I saw the Intel report, that there was a chance everything could drop in the pot. That is what happened with all the losses that we took. I tried my best to get the Brits on board but they were too busy trying to deal with the mess that was Asiatic Station. However after the battle, we have a list of ship girls who are MIA that is as long as my arm, to tell you the truth. I need your help. Because I have been ordered to put together a task force. This Task Force is currently composed of two ships: The Destroyer Fubuki and the Aircraft Carrier Enterprise. You will be a nice little add-on to that task force. So what I am asking you Inazuma, do you want in?" Admiral Shane asked.

Inazuma was stunned. Usually ship girls had to follow orders that were given to them without question, yet Admiral Shane was actually _asking_ her if she wanted in. As a result she was conflicted. Part of her wanted to stay here so when Akatsuki and Hibiki woke up. She would be by their side. Yet Inazuma also wanted to have some sweet revenge against the Abyssals for taking her dear sister, Ikazuchi, away from her.

"I'll do it, sir." Inazuma said.

Admiral Shane smiled and stuck out his hand. "Welcome aboard, Inazuma." He said.

"Thanks sir" Inazuma said as for the first time in her career she shook hands with her admiral.

XXXX

About an hour later, Inazuma was watching as the battered form of the USS _Missouri_ was guided into the dry dock. When she heard a knock. "Come, nanodesu." She said. She then had a thought _Holy mother of god? When was the last time I said either nanodesu or desu for that matter? I guess knowing I have a future as being of use to mankind has really helped me._

As she turned around the door creaked open. She was surprised to the flagship of DesRon 6: Balch. Why on Earth was a 'Gold plater' as the Americans called her type of destroyers had decided to grace her with her presence.

"Inazuma, you ready to go?" Balch asked suddenly.

"Whoa, wait what?!" Inazuma said the question had been one from out of left field.

"I know, I am the flagship of the destroyer section for the Task Force. I just got orders from Admiral Shane, we are to deploy to Midway Atoll. Fubuki is already heading there, and Enterprise is waiting for us." Balch said.

"Okay, let's go, desu" Inazuma said.

XXXX

On Midway Island about fifteen days after Fubuki left her Naval District she saw a sign, she was near Midway. A pair of P-40K Kitty Hawks, flown by fairies, went thundering overhead, their Merlin Engines howling. A little over two hours later an out-cropping of coral and sand appeared on the horizon.

She had arrived at Midway Atoll.

Sure she knew that they had a Carrier in this group. However she didn't expect to right after she got out of her rigging to bump into her.

XXXX

Fubuki came around the corner looking for a sign that would direct her to the Admiral's office. Thus she wasn't watching where she was going and as a result ran smack into something hard and fell on her rump. "Ow" She groaned rubbing her backside as she got up.

"Hi, Fubuki it's, been awhile." A familiar voice said.

"Enterprise, is that you?" Fubuki asked.

"Why, yes it is me Fubuki." Enterprise said kneeling down in front of her.

"How are you doing?" Fubuki asked.

"Pretty good actually. If you're looking for Admiral Shane, he isn't on base. Only his personal secretary ship Monterey and her assistant Reuben James are on base at the moment. As for the Admiral himself, he is currently trying to get a hold of the rest of the task force. Two other destroyers have been assigned to the Task Force. Destroyers Balch and Inazuma. Also I would prefer that you don't talk to Balch that much about the battle. Her command basically had its guts ripped out." Enterprise said.

"Ouch, I see. Thanks for letting me know. However I am going to go report in. That way they know who is on base." Fubuki said.

"I understand, I am looking forward to fighting in the same unit as you." Enterprise said.

"Right" Fubuki said as she walked off.

 _Their goes a fine destroyer if I ever saw one. She may not have the reputation of O'Bannon or Nicholas, Radford, Johnston, Hoel, Heermann, or any other the American Fletcher Class destroyers. However she strives to do her best which is factor that can be counted on._ Enterprise thought idly as she watched the Special-Type destroyer walk off.

XXXX

Admiral Shane's C-37 VIP Transport Bird which in all actuality was just a Gulfstream G650ER. However it was painted Navy Grey, came in for a landing in Perth-Freemantle Australia, here he was hoping to get the other Carrier and hopefully one of Battleships, for the mission he had been given, which came down directly down from the Secretary of the Navy. He knew for a fact that the British Carriers Hermes and Glory, as well as the Battleship Prince of Wales were stationed here. However, he just wanted to get the Carrier issue settled first. Before looking around for Battleships.

The plane jolted ever so slightly as it touched down at the runway at the Perth-Freemantle Australia Naval District. He noted standing wingtip to wingtip parked perfectly were some Royal Australian Hawks. Or as the Assuies called them, Kangaroo Fighters. Mainly because their F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet Squadrons, as well as the F-35A Lighting Squadron they had, were decimated by the Abyssals. So the RAAF built those little babies, they were based off the Hawker Hawk, but had an Engine similar to that of an F/A-18 Hornet, and had a higher under carriage. Each one could carry six AAMs four slung under the wing and one on each wing tip. Plus mounted internally was an ADEN 30 mike mike (or 30mm) autocannon, with a 1,500 round drum. They were purpose built fighters, a larger version capable of carrying an astounding ten AAMs plus a few bombs was in the works. The thing could also do like Mach 1.58 which wasn't bad considering how small the plane was.

XXXX

Twenty minutes later, Admiral Shane found himself in the Admiral's office for the Perth-Freemantle Australia Naval District in the middle of a heated discussion with the Admiral on base. A man who he was now beginning to dislike a lot. The man in charge was named Admiral Jack Dexter

"I am telling you, all am asking for is just one ship!" Shane growled out.

"Admiral Shane, I am telling you right now. That if you want to take one of my Carriers! I won't permit it! You can take one of the five Escort Carriers, but not one of my full blown CVs!" Dexter snarled.

While this was going on, Dexter's Secretary Ship Australia formally HMAS Australia. She was a member of the _County_ -class Heavy Cruiser, and one of the most powerful ship girls that the RAAN Ship Girl Program had to offer. That hadn't been loaned to Australia from the RN. Yet the sight of a pair of Three Star Admirals one from her own nation, the other from the USN having the major argument that they were having, was scary and thus she was slowly backing away. Mainly because it appeared that her admiral was getting ready to strike the American. However why in the name of all things holy was her admiral making such a big deal out of this. At the very least they should be discussing terms of sending Hermes to take part in this mission. Mainly because she wasn't as good with a crossbow as the two _Ruler_ -class and three _Attacker_ -class Escort Carrier Girls, if anything they were more effective combat than she was. So why was her admiral getting so stuck in.

"All I am asking for is Hermes! At least give me her! Your five jeep carriers are better than she is in terms of combat efficiency." Admiral Shane ground out.

"I am telling you, no! I _will_ not lend of my carriers to take part in a _fruitless_ endeavor! One that I see as only a waste of valuable materials and resources! When all the ship girls that we have should be sent to South America to clear the Abyssals from our seas once and for all!" Admiral Dexter shot back.

" _Fruitless endeavor?!_ " Admiral Shane shouted his voice dripping with anger.

"Why, yes it is a very fruitless endeavor, the oper-" Dexter said before being what could be best described as being verbally bitch slapped.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT THE MISSION I HAVE BEING PLANING FOR THIS TASK FORCE TO DO IS A WASTE OF TIME!? BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT DAMN NOW! THAT I HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY THE SECERATARY OF THE NAVY HIMSELF TO PUT THIS TASK FORCE TOGETHER! YOU MY FRIEND ARE A SELF MINDED IDIOT! THE YOUNGEST OF THESE GIRLS IS PHYSICALLY ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD, THE OLDEST IS ABOUT TWENTY! YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE! I AM TRYING TO SAVE AS MANY POWS AS I CAN, FROM THE HANDS OF THE ABYSSALS IN THE PACIFIC! THUS ALLOWING THEM TO GET PROPER MEDICAL ATTETION, FOOD, WATER, AND IF NEED BE REHAB! I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THE MOTTO OF OUR SHIP GIRL PROGRAM IS 'SEMPER SANITATEM ACTU VOLUIT, ET POTEST AD AUXILIUM' OR 'ALWAYS WILLING AND ABLE TO HELP'. WHICH MEANS ADMIRAL! IS THAT, WHILE WE VALUE BEATING THE ABYSSALS BACK! _UNLIKE_ YOU WE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT ARE SHIPGIRLS UNDER OUR COMMAND IN THE USN!" Admiral Shane bellowed at Admiral Dexter, his voice getting loud enough that it caused the windows in the office to slightly rattle.

Admiral Dexter was now pale as a ghost, as for Australia, she quietly asked for permission to step out. Which when it was granted. She then gave Admiral Shane a grateful nod, for finally putting Admiral Dexter in his place. Then hustled out.

However after being verbally bitch slapped, Admiral Dexter. Figured out that well he was an honest to god American Commander who followed one of the oldest axioms of command. He cared about the ship girls under his command, like they were his own children.

"Al-al-alright, you win. I will see to the transfer orders of the Aircraft Carrier Striker." Dexter said stuttering, shaken from being yelled at.

"Thank You." Admiral Shane said.

"No problem sir." Dexter said.

XXXX

Admiral Shane was making his way toward the C-37. Mission accomplished in terms of finding a carrier. He was currently walking with Striker, formally HMS _Striker_ an _Attacker_ -class CVE however she had more planes than Hermes carried. Striker appeared to be around fourteen years old and cut an attractive figure, she also appeared to be around 5 foot 8 inches tall, she had long black hair that ran halfway down her back and blue eyes, the way she dressed reminded Admiral Shane of several of the veterans who helped keep the _Missouri_ afloat who were now helping fix her. She wore khaki utilities to and had a red hair clip in her hair.

"So you're Striker?" Admiral Shane mused as they walked to the C-37.

"Yes, Admiral. I am Striker." Striker replied. She paused before adding "Sir, what is this about? I mean, usually I would have had at least a week's notice for a transfer but this time they pulled me off so fast it made my head spin."

"Striker, the reason you have been transferred to my command, the reason is simple. I have been ordered by the Secretary of the Navy to put together a Task Force. Composed of ship girls from various nations if need be, the mission of this Task Force is, to find any Abyssal Prison Camps. Mark their positions and then with help Special Forces boys we will then liberate said camps. Plus mopping up any and all remaining Abyssal Bases we stumble across while searching for these camps. All we need now is three Battleships, four heavy cruisers, and a trio of light cruisers." Shane said explaining his mission in a nutshell.

"Wow! So impressive! Now I really want in Admiral!" Striker exclaimed.

"Good to know Striker. Well, I also hate to say it, but our first stop, is going to be Midway Atoll. There you outfit will be unloaded and you can get off. Allowing me, to now try and get some heavy cruisers or battleships into this little fleet." Shane said.

"Alright, boss! For some reason however when I get on a plane I tend to sleep like a rock during the flight." Striker announced.

Shane nodded.

XXXX

Meanwhile near the entrance of Iron Bottom Sound. Four ship girls were engaging a lone He-class light cruisers, a ten Wa-class Transports, and a pair of Ro-class destroyers.

"WHOA!" Mahan yelped as she ducked to avoid taking a full salvo of rounds from the of the He-class cruiser that had they connected would have impacted her in the face.

"I got it!" Walker yelled as she fired her 4.7in DP gun there was a tell-tail noise as the shell flew through the air and slammed into the He-class, hit something critical and caused it to explode.

Walker then barked out orders. "Kitakami and Oochi have fun with the transports, send them all to the bottom with your torpedoes. Myself and Mahan will take the Ro-class destroyers."

"Right!" Kitakami said.

"Grr, I wish I was the flagship." Oochi mumbled, before saying in a louder voice "Yes, Walker consider it done."

As Walker and Mahan raced to engage the destroyers which were trying desperately to hit the two Japanese Torpedo Cruisers. They didn't notice the two destroyers coming up on them, until Walker's 4.7in DP gun and Mahan's 4in/50 caliber DP gun barked as one. However by then it was too late. Both went to dodge but the shells crossed the distance and slammed into their armor and punched right through it before exploding and causing both destroyers to explode. Then with debris still failing into the drink from the two dead destroyers. At least thirty thunderclap booms went up from behind them. Walker and Mahan wheeled and saw the enemy transports each having taken at least two maybe three torpedoes and were sinking rapidly.

"Nice work, you two." Walker said praising the two CTLs.

"Thanks" They said together.

"Come on if we hurry now we can get to Savo Island by late afternoon." Walker said after 5 minutes had passed allowing for the ship girls to catch their breath.

"Right, okay then. Let's get a move on!" Mahan said cheerfully after those 5 minutes had passed.

XXXX

After being in the air for eight hours at least, including a midair refueling. The C-37 touched down at Midway Atoll at 0750 hours.

Their after helping get Striker settled in. Admiral Shane, meet the destroyers Balch, Fubuki, and Inazuma. He had known Enterprise for quite a while. In fact he had been the one who had pinned her first Navy Cross, for bravery during the Easter Island Campaign.

He had then told him, that he had to meet with Admiral Nikola, commander of the Russian North Sea Fleet Ship Girl Program.

XXXX

Two hours later, Admiral Shane was back in the air in his C-37. He had changed, eaten a quick meal and had said his goodbyes and said he would be back. However Admiral Shane had no idea who would be a likely candidate from the Russian Naval District in Murmansk. He hoped that it would be less of a pain in the ass to acquire a heavy cruiser than it had for the other Aircraft Carrier.

XXXX

Yuudachi was sitting in the courtyard of the Abyssal POW camp, Pope was sitting next to her. Or actually more or less, snuggled up against her side. Cooing softy as if she felt comforted by Yuudachi's presence, plus she was holding her left arm like her life depended on it.

"Hey, is it okay if I join you here?" A deep voice said, but with the sort of tone meaning that she was proud for who she was.

Yuudachi looked up, and was surprised not to see the Ne-class she was expecting, but a ship girl. She appeared to be about 15 years old, with dark brown hair that had streaks of black in it and chocolate brown eyes, and she appeared to be about 5 feet 5 inches tall. She was wearing NWUs. She obviously American. However Yuudachi grimaced when she saw the scar that ran down one of her arms, she was certain that wasn't the only scar that she had on her body.

"Who are you, poi?" Yuudachi asked wearily.

"Me? Come on Yuudachi think back to your previous life. About the ship that sent you to the bottom." She said cryptically.

"Portland, poi?" Yuudachi said questionably.

"You got it." Portland said with a laugh.

"It's good to see you again, I will admit, poi." Yuudachi admitted, she held no beef toward the Americans even though she was sunk by them. She understood the fact that they were at war, and stuff like that happens.

"I heard that you were at the Iron Bottom Sound Operation. To tell you the truth so was I, however I was in the center of that mess. Ships I had known for years were taken away from me. I know for a fact that we lost Macon and Chester in the Heavy Cruiser department. In the light cruiser department we lost Nashville, San Diego, Santa Fe, and Denver. In terms of Destroyers the Gridley-class was almost wiped out. Only McCall survived the battle and she's MIA. In terms of other DDs we have lost I have no idea." Portland said.

"Oh man, you want to hear bad Portland. Pope here had her entire command almost completely wiped out by the Abyssals, poi." Yuudachi said gesturing to Pope.

"Ouch, that's nasty. However if you ask me. We need to stick together. If we don't just knowing the fact that we are POWs will slowly eat our morale away. Thus allowing the Abyssals to break us in terms of confidence and hope. If we don't than may God help us all." Portland said.

Yuudachi nodded in agreement. This was something that needed to happen else the Abyssals would break them in terms of confidence and hope.

XXXX

A/N: Okay, here is Chapter One done! If you have any ideas please put them in a review. I do try my best to reply to reviews. In chapter III it will focus on Admiral Shane getting the Heavy Cruisers he needs for his task force.


	3. Chapter II

A/N: I don't own anything. Save the OCs.

XXXX

 _The sea was frothing with the thick black blood of the Abyssals and the dark red blood of the ship girls. One destroyer looked at her killers with anger in her eyes, but deep inside she was just waiting for it to end. She was battered and bleeding, barely having the strength to face her killers on her feet. Her killers were a trio of Ru-class Battleships. She looked at her close sister who unmoving and bleeding. She needed medical aid and soon. When her unexpected savior appeared as the tip of a Kukri knife erupted through the chest of one of the Ru-class it looked down shocked at its wound. The blade twisted then was brutally yanked out. The Ru dropped like a rock. Revealing an Assuie Heavy Cruiser. One of the remaining Ru's sprang at the Cruiser which sidestepped and then drove its blade down into the enemy battleship's neck. Gave a violent twist and the caused the Ru to collapsed, dead. The last one was just standing in a frozen stupor. The Heavy Cruiser sprang and using all of her weight drove its blade right through the last battleship's skull. Killing it in an instant._

XXXX

The American destroyer girl Fletcher shot up right in the small sleeping bag she had been given. She was with around ten other ship girls. They were stuck on Savo Island. Most had their equipment critically damaged. Plus the damage control fairies were telling them that if they didn't have an honest to god dock. That repairs were out of the question. Unless you wanted the engines to sound like PBY engines whose oil had rocks in it, it didn't sound pretty.Fletcher didn't remember much from the battle. However she had been told that it had been a disaster. Worse half of the DesRon had been wiped out. Leaving just O'Bannon, Nicholas, Radford, and herself. The other ship girls were the Heavy Cruiser Canberra an Aussie, Omaha, a battered South Dakota, Chitose a Japanese Seaplane Tender, Alaska a Large Cruiser, the Destroyer Escort Samuel B. Roberts, and the Kagerou-class destroyer girl Hidoiame.

Fletcher had brown eyes, with brown hair. She usually wore a cut down version of Summer Whites. However today she was wearing a set of NWUs that looked like Measure 17. She was about 11 years old. Plus a portage to the now deceased Oakland an _Atlanta_ -class Light Cruiser Girl. Plus she was a hair under 5 feet two inches.

However, Alaska, Chitose, Nicholas, and Radford had really nasty wounds. Alaska was comatose, while Chitose and Nicholas was in a drug induced haze. Radford, however was on a cot, awaiting for death to claim her. The injuries she had sustained was pretty severe, as she had taken the brunt of a salvo from an enemy Ta-class that was intended for South Dakota. Thus her wounds were grave the resident medic Omaha, told Fletcher straight up. That if Radford didn't get proper medic attention by the end of the month, she was goner. It had broken her heart to hear that. Every day at sunrise Fletcher would go to the beach and pray to the good Lord, for help to arrive soon.

XXXX

Meanwhile forty-five miles to the Northwest, near the Northern Entrance to Iron Bottom Sound. Walker, Mahan, Oochi, and Kitakami were steaming toward Savo Island, it was calm, some squalls were forming on the horizon to the southwest but it was nothing to worry about. "I have to admit, this is the second time I have entered Iron Bottom Sound." Walker admitted.

"Really?" Kitakami asked surprised.

"Yeah, granted I spent most of WWII in the Asiatic theater. However, I will never forget the Second Battle of the Jawa Sea." Walker replied.

"Jawa? I thought it was Java." Oochi said.

"Well, it's what I remember." Walker said simply.

"Well, I guess that is what is true. I do remember hearing however, back when I was a ship. That a Battlecruiser, a brand new Japanese Destroyer, and two American Destroyers disappeared without a trace. Walker do you by chance, have any idea to know what that was about?" Kitakami asked.

Both Walker and Mahan stopped cold. "What's wrong?" Oochi asked surprised at seeing such a Brave little four piper lock-up.

"You see, Oochi and Kitakami. What I am about to tell you. Only my Admiral, the members of DesRon29, and the Japanese Destroyer Girl Hidoiame know about. It's because they haven't found the Wrecks of neither myself, _Mahan_ , the _Hidoiame_ , _Amagi_ , nor the destroyer that went into battle with the _Amagi_. The thing is the last part of that battle, happened on the edge of the weirdest squall me and Mahan have been through." Walker replied.

"What do you mean weird?" Kitakami asked.

"What do I mean by weird? Let's just say, that after we exited that squall we wound up in a completely different place. Plus there were Vals in that battle after we exited that squall, no dive bombers began their attack. Plus there were fish that were like Tuna, but the moment you enter the water. They were like Piranhas. You literally had about two minutes to get your ass out of the water before those things appeared and ripped you limb from limb. Not to mention, you had huge fish that made Blue Whales look tiny. Hell now that I think about it. These things could actually _eat_ one." Walker said explaining.

"That has to be the weirdest thing I have ever heard." Oochi admitted.

"Believe me it is, however it is also amazing in its own way. If anything, while WWII doesn't exist anymore on that version of Earth. Hell now that I think about it. Mankind hasn't evolved on that Version of Earth. However it does feel good to be the fastest ship in the world. As well as being the most advanced. Considering that the fastest ship there can do fifteen knots. It feels nice to do thirty knots and go, 'You can't catch me'. However, myself and my crew have certainly have a hell of a wild ride. Same with Mahan, S-19, Amagi, Hidoiame, Santy Cat just so you know that is the nickname for the Santa Catalina, a tanker, a Maru, and one PBY." Walker said.

"Whaaaaat?" Oochi and Kitakami exclaimed together.

"I know, tell me about it." Walker replied.

"No, it just can't be possible." Oochi said.

"Believe me, it may sound crazy. But it is." Walker said.

Oochi snorted in disbelief.

"Oochi, it's really hard to explain. Trust me it is. However its part of the reason why Mahan has a 4in/50 caliber Dual Purpose Gun and I have a Japanese 4.7in Dual Purpose Gun. It's also the reason why Mahan's AA include two single mount 25mm AA/AT Guns. It's also why I have four Y-Guns, and four 25mm AA/AT guns in double mounts. It's also why I can launch a recon bird. It's also why Mahan for her second remodel lost a fair amount of power, but got two Quadruple Torpedo launchers. It's also why I have a real long range." Walker said.

"Okay, after we get out of this rigging. Me and Mahan will explain everything we can in detail." Walker said and Mahan nodded.

"Fine by me. Walker, I do have to admit. Please remind me never to piss you off. I would have never expected to see a destroyer a _Little_ -class of all things, decapitate a Battleship Princess, Ise or Yamashiro maybe. But never a destroyer, I have to admit you really know use your Navy Cutlass Pattern 1914. If only Tenyruu or Tatsuta had survived the battle. Then you could have some fun." Kitakami said. (FYI that happened during the operation in Iron Bottom Sound)

"Okay, right let me launch a scout plane." Walker said.

"What do you mean?" Oochi asked.

Walker raised her left arm, as Kitakami and Oochi were on her left, then pulled from a pouch a small little plane. It like a Supermarine Walrus but the engine was in the wrong place, mounted above the top wing instead of between the two wings. She then put it on a small impulse catapult. "Launching scout!" Walker announced. The impulse charge fired and kicked the small airplane off into the wild blue yonder.

"Walker, what type of plane was that?" Oochi said.

"That was a little plane known as a PB-1 'Nancy' even through it looks nothing like a Navy Curtiss Flying Boat. It's a decent little plane. Can carry two 100lb bombs under each wing. Plus some have mounted in the nose a M2 Browning Machine Gun. It's powered by something similar to a Wright Gispy Engine. However that is as much as I know. I am just a simple destroyer." Walker said explaining about the plane a little bit.

"Impressive" Kitakami noted.

"It is, let me tell you though. Because of that plane I owe more than a few rounds with several ship girls. Eh, such is the life of a destroyer who has a scout plane. It is usually fast and dangerous plus if you aren't careful, quite deadly." Walker said jokingly.

Everyone Kitakami and Oochi included spent the next five minutes laughing after that remark. Oochi said later that "Walker and Mahan once you got to know them, they were great to know plus they worked with an efficiency of a team that DesRon21 at full strength would envy. Plus it was one 'four'-stacker flush deck destroyer and one 'two'-piper flush deck torpedo boat to boot."

XXXX

Fletcher was staring out at the waters of Iron Bottom Sound. It was place where a quarter of DesRon21 now lay restfully in peace. The other three-quarters of the other DesDiv in DesRon21 had most likely been captured. Plus it broke her heart to see her sister in such great pain. It was during this time that Fletcher let her mind drift. Thinking back to the tips and tricks that the Light Cruiser Girl Oakland had given her, when it came to signaling for help or trying to get someone's attention. Not to mention tricks for appearing helpless with your AA director down and then just as enemy planes began their attack run, powering the AA director up and scaring the crap out of enemy planes when flak bursts and tracers appeared right in front of them. In return Fletcher had taught Oakland how to use her torpedoes more effectively, since the _Atlanta_ -class Light Cruiser back during WWII did have torpedoes, plus it seemed that everyone forgot that fact. Abyssals included.

Fletcher was so wrapped up in her reminiscing that she didn't hear the PB-1 'Nancy' for the first few minutes that is until the thing spotted an enemy submarine, snorkeling at Periscope depth just minding its own business. The PB-1B went into a shallow dive its Wright Gispy engine howling then the pilot punched the bomb release on its two small depth bombs. The two 100lb depth charges tumbled away and fell into the water with a pair of heavy splashes. The charges then sank till they were five feet below the enemy submarine and then exploded. Two muffled booms followed by a pair of larger blasts and towering columns of water marked the end of the enemy submarine. That got Fletcher out of her reminiscing, she looked around franticly for the source of the blasts, then she heard the drone of an engine, she looked up, and saw a small plane. It was similar in appearance to a Supermarine Walrus but the engine was in the wrong place. Just behind the American Star emblazoned on its fuselage in black lettering was the hull number of the ship that it belonged to. '163'.

Fletcher couldn't believe it, she had heard that DesRon29 was the main reason that even though BatDiv 9 even though they got massacred was able to escape. Nicholas had told her, that those 'four-pipers' had to be either the craziest ship girls she had ever known or the stupidest or possibly the bravest, or the Abyssals had simply went full retard mode when they spotted a flying a wedge of destroyers charging at them. Granted from what she had been told, the fighting when those Destroyers engaged at least six battleships, with a Battleship Princess Commanding, plus ten heavy cruisers had been crazy. The destroyers used every weapon at their disposal, which meant torpedoes, their main battery, as well as their AA battery. However despite the destroyers practically throwing themselves at the enemy; once the enemy battleships and heavy cruisers figured out what was going on and where the attack was coming from. DesRon29 got just plain annihilated, with very few ship girls surviving and they had been captured. Not that there hadn't been many survivors to begin with. Only four had survived, and they hadn't been heard from since.

Yet, there was a scout plane from one the destroyers in DesRon29 granted only one destroyer in DesRon29 had that ability. Fletcher remembered being told by South Dakota that the only reason that her Battleship Squadron had been able to break out was not only thanks in part to the efforts to DesRon29, but mainly thanks to the shock that went through the Abyssal Task Force that had been engaging her squadron, when a small _Little_ -class Destroyer Girl engaged the Battleship Princess in One-on-One combat, plus it was melee to boot. It had ended when the _Little_ -class Destroyer Girl managed to _decapitate_ the Battleship Princess, which was impressive in its own right. Granted however it was likely that her FCS had been knocked out of action, either that or she had tried engaging at range, but thanks to how bad the weather had been, it was likely she just couldn't score hits to begin with. Either that or all of a sudden the battleship Princess just appeared at almost point blank range. Just a question to ask the destroyer girl in question.

Yet how to get the attention of that scout plane? Thankfully it seemed that Canberra was a few steps ahead of Fletcher, she appeared on the beach, about twenty or thirty feet away from Fletcher, she raised a flare gun which was standard issue in USN ship girl satchels, which they always wore on their belt when they had their outfits on.

"Flare!" Canberra barked. Canberra being a heavy cruiser a member of _County_ -class of Heavy Cruisers part of the _Kent_ -subclass. She stood about, five feet five inches tall. She wore lightweight hiking clothes designed for the outback, her shorts were Khaki and her shirt was white, plus she had a brown hat on her head. Her eyes were black, while her hair was silk wheat white. She also always carried a Kukri knife on her at all times, either that or it was nearby. She was generally calm and outgoing, but in this situation she was very terse and pretty quick to temper.

The flare gun kicked in her hands, and a ruby red flare roared into the air.

The pilot spotted the flare, and came in for a closer look. Then spotted the survivors on Savo, the tiny pilot ordered the spotter/radio operator/navigator/and tail gunner to send a message back to Walker telling her that they found survivors.

"Alright!" Walker cheered slightly.

"What is it?" Kitakami asked.

"We got survivors on Savo Island! Appears to be a small number of ship girls, still its great news!" Walker said happily.

"Good to hear! Let's make best speed for them! As a matter of fact Oochi, Kitakami! Last one to Savo Island is buying next time we pull into a Naval District!" Mahan said with a note of a spirit of competition.

"Oh you are _on_!" Kitakami said enthusiastically.

XXXX

"Admiral Shane. I am honored to see that you are heading up this task force. I would be happy to give you one of my Cruisers. How does the Heavy Cruiser _Kirov_ grab you?" Admiral Nikola said. Nikola stood about 6 feet 3 inches tall, with black eyes and brown hair.

Admiral Shane for his part let out a long slow whistle. " _Kirov_? You're kidding me right? She is one of the best Heavy Cruisers you have. Yet you are willing to part ways with her?" Shane asked incredulous.

"You need all the firepower you can get. If you want I can throw in a light cruiser as well. Maybe the _Sverdlov_ she is a good ship, however she really wants to see some action. However due to the fact that we managed to drive the Abyssals out of the North Sea Fleet Operating Area to such a degree that the Regular Surface Boys can handle it. So thus we don't really deploy our ship girls in the Northern Fleet Operating Area that much anymore. Unless of course there is the occasional Carrier Group. However I have seen our Surface Boys paste one pretty fast." Admiral Nikola said.

"Thanks Admiral Nikola you just saved me, a hell of a lot of trouble. Just damn I swear I hate some Admirals so much. Some just see Ship Girls as assets, I am one of the few out their how sees them as something more. I don't see them as assets, nor as members of a Navy. I see them as something more; Brothers in Arms at the very least or at the very most a family." Admiral Shane said.

"No Problem, and don't worry about taking them back to Midway with you. They will arrive via an IL-76. Plus they are used to it, we use IL-76s to transfer our Ship Girls all the time between operating areas." Admiral Nikola said explaining a bit.

"That makes sense, we always used C-141 Stratolifters for transferring our Ship girls around. The Euros used trains. So I am not surprised that you use IL-76s. Anyways thanks for Kirov and Sverdlov that's two of the cruisers I need. I will probably get the others from what is left of our Cruiser Fleet assigned to the Pacific." Admiral Shane said.

"Good to hear old friend. Also before I forget. I made sure that we had some nice quality Vodka put into your C-37. You might need it." Admiral Nikola said.

"Thanks Admiral Nikola. You are always a great friend and fellow Admiral to work with. I just wish that the damn politicians would have allowed the Russian Pacific Ship Girl Squadron or at least the Northern Fleet" Admiral Shane said.

"I agree, Comrade Admiral. However I don't want eat up more of your valuable time." Admiral Nikola said.

"I agree, I better be off. Also how about once this is over and done with. How about we meet at Naval Station Norfolk for a couple of rounds." Admiral Shane said.

"I will see you there. Also god speed Admiral on the success of your mission." Admiral Nikola said as Admiral Shane stood up and slowly walked out.

XXXX

Pope had wondered when she was going to die. She would have preferred dying at the hands of an enemy destroyer. She was barely a match for those new Elite Late Model Destroyer type Abyssals that were appearing. Yet she had willing ordered almost the entirety of her command to their deaths, when she ordered her DesRon to engage a heavy enemy task force that was pounding the crap out of BatDiv9. She had ordered her DesRon to make a hole while they did succeed only three destroyer girls from DesRon29 survived. Had it been worth it? That she didn't know.

 _At least Yuudachi is being a nice pillar of support to me._ Pope though absent mindedly.

"Hey Pope you alright?" A voice said, it sounded so familiar yet Pope couldn't put her finger on it.

Pope turned to the right looked up and saw a very familiar face. She had known that for some bizarre reason the Destroyer Girl Stewart had been transferred from DesRon29 to Japan after her second remodel.

"Stewart? Is that you?" Pope asked incredulously.

"Yes and no." Stewart said as she sat down. Stewart was very similar to Pope in how old she appeared to be and in appearance. Meaning that instead of red hair and blue eyes; Stewart had short ginger colored hair and amber colored eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Pope asked.

"You see Pope back during WWII remember how I had to put into dry dock for major repairs in Surabaya Java?" Stewart asked.

Pope nodded "Yeah I do." She replied curious.

"Well before the Japanese took Surabaya Java, we scuttled the Dry Dock I was in. Well the Japanese in '43 raised me, rebuilt basically from the ground up and recomissoned me into their navy as PB-102. This was my weapon layout in '45 the main battery was composed of two 3in guns for use against surface targets. My AA battery however was quite impressive fourteen 25mm AT/AA guns, four 13mm Machine Guns, and two 6.5mm machine guns. For torpedoes it was just one Quadruple torpedo launcher with four Type 2 18in torpedoes. Plus a metric ton of depth charges, seventy two Type 2 depth charges." Stewart said.

"I see, that explains why you were shipped to Japan after your second remodel. Makes a lot more sense now I guess." Pope said.

"Yes it does, Pope. However I will always be your friend. Plus Pope, something tells me that something similar to The Great Raid might happen here. Don't know why but I just do. Who knows, it might happen. However I don't know." Stewart said.

"What makes you think that Stewart?" Pope asked.

"Just call it one of those feelings we get occasionally. Besides we all know what Admiral Shane is probably thinking. Trying to figure out a way to get us liberated from this infernal prison camp. He thinks of us all like family and our allied ship girls as brothers in arms. I think he is trying to figure out a way to get us all out of here alive, or as many as possible." Stewart said.

Pope for her part now felt very stupid. She should have known that Admiral Shane CINC Pacific Operating Theater for the American Ship girl program would be trying desperately to do something. Guess with her command gutted, her best friend dead, plus the pain from her own still healing broken floating ribs. She had simply forgotten that Admiral Shane would be desperately trying to get something together to liberate this prison camp. For her part Pope began to feel hope burn in her chest again at the prospect of that.

If a fleet would be coming to liberate this prison camp. Pope just wished it would be soon. Because she knew that the longer she stayed in this damn place. The sooner this place might begin to mess around with her sanity. _That_ was a prospect she didn't like at all.

XXXX

At Midway, Fubuki was off exploring the base. She was surprised to hear a shout in Japanese followed by some pretty profane English words coming from a hanger. Curious as to what is was she marched over to hanger to where it had come from.

"Alright that should do it! Try it!" Blach barked at Inazuma The two Destroyer girls had been bored and had thus gone exploring the hangers. They had found a Pratt and Whitney Wasp Major which had been pulled out of a Bearcat. Thus the two decided to try their hand at restoring the engine. Naturally it wasn't going so well. If anything the way it was going would have a mechanic dying of laughter and cringing at the same time.

"Alright desu!" Inazuma called out as she flipped the starter switch. The engine gave a stuttering whine before the starter began to spark then the wiring caught fire.

"HOLY DESU!" Inazuma shrieked in Japanese in shock at what the engine was doing.

"GAH! SHIT! FUCK! FUCK! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT THE FUCK OFF!" Blach began yelling franticly as she began to beat at the flames with her shirt which only made it worse. Inazuma began to mess with the controls to try and get the engine to stop doing what it was doing.

This was the scene that Fubuki walked into when she went to investigate the shouting.

"What the?" Fubuki said amused slightly at seeing Blach trying to put an electrical fire out with her shirt and Inazuma fiddling around with the controls for the massive P&W engine. Fubuki looked around and saw a fire extinguisher. She ran over to it, grabbed it, removed the pin and ran to the still burning engine and used the extinguisher to put out the fire.

"Thanks" Blach said breathlessly.

"No problem, uh." Fubuki said not quite sure who she was addressing.

"Destroyer Blach at your service." Blach said with a low bow.

"Fubuki it's good to see you again!" Inazuma said happily.

"Nice to meet you Blach, and yes Inazuma it's good to see you again." Fubuki said. "So what was with the engine?" she asked.

"Oh simple, we got bored and went out to explore the base and decided to tinker around with this thing. Didn't expect what happened to happen however." Blach said with a snort.

"Okay that I believe, however I think first you should have asked someone to do something like that first however." Fubuki said with a giggle.

"I guess we should have desu." Inazuma admitted in a way the fiasco that had just happened reminded her way too much of the time when they tried to decrease the cooking time of their curry by using a _flamethrower_ of all things.

"However I think it might be better to try something different to try and solve our boredom issue. To the club anyone?" Fubuki asked having figured out where the club was. She hadn't been inside yet.

"I think that would be a better idea." Blach said.

"I agree, desu" Inazuma chimed in.

The three destroyers decided to leave a note explaining what had happened, then went to go to the club.

XXXX

A/N: Alright sorry for the delay but I am not in college and chapters will be more scattered. I have also decided to first focus on the Iron Bottom Sound Saga. Just to make it easier. However don't worry, once Iron Bottom Sound Saga is done and finished I will focus on the Bermuda Saga.

A/N (Again): Please leave a review also keep an eye on your 180 and give them hell!


	4. Chapter III

A/N: I don't own anything.

XXXX

" _I don't give a damn! The enemy is pouring it on! I have really heavy fire coming in! I think the Abyssals have figured out what we are up to!" The Destroyer Escort girl shouted at the top of her voice. Explosions, cries of pain, rage, joy, the sounds of planes buzzing overhead, the thunder of guns, and the heavy splashes of shells missing filled the air._

" _Listen! You need to destroy five more SAM batteries, two more heavy AA guns, and five more medium AA guns in order to carve a channel for our C-130s to be able to MOAB that place to hell! If you can do that! Then I can have those C-130s over this damn enemy HQ in about thirty five minutes!" The Admiral ordered, however from how he sounded, he was obviously very worried for how the operation was going. The Japanese Advance had been utterly stonewalled and then the fighting become a violent point-blank range brawl. Thus the Japanese were taking heavy damage and losses. The American push wasn't faring much better, they had gotten bogged down, but were trying to continue advancing._

" _Where the hell is our surface support?" A member of the Destroyer Escort's squadron yelled, she was an Armored Cruiser girl._

" _They were sent else ware they are currently trying to blast the 1_ _st_ _Japanese Battleship Davison out of an encirclement! So sadly no dice for our support!" One of the destroyer girls shouted in response however her voice was laced with dismay._

" _Look out! Torpedo Spread incoming! Torpedo Spread incoming!" The Heavy Cruiser girl in the fleet yelled in terror for her flagship. The destroyer escort girl who was the flagship looked left didn't see any torpedo wakes then she looked right and saw four Abyssal High Speed torpedoes closing in at over 80 knots. They were set to proximity as they exploded, the warheads tossed her like well a tin can, and those torpedoes were meant to cripple battleships._

XXXX

This was the hellish nightmare that the severely injured flagship of the 4th Breeching/Assault Squad a former _John C. Butler_ -class Destroyer Escort; Samuel B. Roberts awoke from. She had been comatose for a while but had recently come out of it. However her fleet had an interesting composition, one Armored Cruiser Girl: Montana, one Heavy Cruiser Girl: Louisville, one Scout Cruiser Girl: Marblehead, herself, and four destroyer girls: Maddox, Laffey (II) DD-764, Gearing, and Ingraham. She had survived as had her command. However, Montana seeing the state she was in after she took those torpedoes, which she was lucky that they didn't blow her in half, had nearly had a heart attack, had ordered Maddox to get her to a medic and then haul ass back to the fleet, she had found Omaha thankfully. However for one thing she wanted to get up and get back into the fight yet due to her wounds she couldn't.

Outside the small survival tent that had been pitched looking out over the water was a _Kagerou_ -class Destroyer Girl. (Don't wail on me. I do know that only 19 were actually built. Yet I love the Destroyermen Series so no flames, in that series 20 were built, so deal with it. :D) Her name was Hidoiame formally HIMS or IJN _Hidoiame_ she had quite the adventurous service life, yet it was also short. Including one hell of a pitched battle in Late '44 with an American Four-Stacker she didn't know who won that slugfest but her bastard of a captain who had committed horrible atrocities, had been convinced that she had, although she, knew for herself that they didn't sink the American Four-Piper. Yet she saw Canberra fire a flare, then heard a droning overhead. One she hadn't heard since '44, a Wright Gispy motor she was sure of it, only one plane that she knew of had that engine. She looked a lot like Tokitsukaze, save the outfit she wore in combat. Instead of a 10cm Twin High Angle mount like so many of her sisters mounted she instead used 12.7cm Twin Gun Mount B Kai 2 she just loved the hitting power that the 5in guns had over the 4in guns.

Yet with that engine noise, she knew that her second life was about to get way more exciting. "Hey Hidoiame you are in the best shape! How 'bout you go out and greet our guests and bring them here!" Canberra barked.

"Yes ma'am!" Hidoiame said in response, her rigging was in the best shape to begin with, plus she knew to a degree the area, not as much though as all the vets how were laid up, though. She quickly got into her rigging, which consisted of a backpack funnel, with a gun pit on each side that mounted a single Type 96 25mm AT/AA triple mount. She then grabbed her two thigh mounted Quadruple Torpedo Launchers, and then finally grabbing her hand held gun mount.

XXXX

"Hey, Walker! I see trouble coming, it's emerging from that squall at bearing 398; range fifteen miles." Mahan said.

"What's up? Because we got trouble closing in from behind and from off the port bow." Walker said. "Enemy forces, as far as I can tell, three Ne-class Heavy Cruisers, one remodeled flagship Ri-class Heavy Cruiser, four To-class Light Cruisers elite, and three I-class destroyers. That's what is closing in from behind us. We have one Chi-class Flagship Torpedo Cruiser, plus ten Ni-class destroyers all Late Model Elites, likely closing in for a Torpedo strike. This better be something easy Mahan."

"Fraid not" Mahan said, "It's a god fucking damned Abyssal Battlecruiser Demon and a fucking Destroyer Princess! Just anyone of those forces would be a major pain in the ass to deal with. But damn, an Abyssal Battlecruiser Demon."

"What is a Battlecruiser Demon? Never heard of it, Destroyer Princesses however we have ran into those more than a few times." Kitakami said.

"Battlecruiser Demon are a subtype of the Battleship Water Demons while they are both rare; Battlecruiser Demons seems to be the more common variant of the two however. Battlecruiser Demons are armed with ten 10in/45 caliber naval rifles for their main battery. While their secondary is composed of a bunch of Abyssal 4in high angle gun mounts and a bunch of Abyssal 5in Single Gun mounts. Plus a metric shit ton of Abyssal 20mm Machine Guns and 12.7mm Abyssal Machine Guns. They are pretty helpless from the air but they are beasts against surface targets. Hell these things will give an _Alaska_ -class Large Cruiser Girl a run for her money every other day and twice on Sunday. However our only chance to get to Savo Island is to punch through!" Walker said explaining.

"We never seem to get these things in our operating areas." Ooi admitted. (Yes finally corrected a mistake! XD)

"Lucky you then, these things always succeeded in putting some of our older classes of Battleship Girls in the docks for at least a month." Mahan chimed in.

"Great, battle plan anyone?" Ooi said.

Walker pondered for a moment, then a pretty simple yet devious and probably stupid plan came to mind. Then an old saying came to mind; 'If it's stupid but it works, then it's not stupid.'

"Ooi, Kitakami. You are equipped with Oxygen Torpedoes? Type 93s right?" Walker asked.

"Why yes we are." Kitakami said.

"Awesome! Those things have an insane range! Turn broadside on to those Heavy Cruisers, and fire a low speed spread tight at those cruisers. That ought to do major if not crippling damage to them." Walker said she took a brief breath before continuing. "After you launch your fish, think you can run a bit of interference against those Destroyers and Torpedo Cruiser?" She asked.

"We can, but what about that Demon and her Princess escort?" Ooi asked.

Mahan then figured out what Walker's plan was and broke out into hearty laughter. "I know what Walker has in mind!"

"Myself and Mahan are going to run up both sides of that bastard and hit her with torpedoes and torpedo impulse charges! If that doesn't sink her, she will be rattled and crippled basically it will render her combat ineffective, although I wouldn't recommend doing it against a Battleship Water Demon." Walker said.

"Okay Walker I have to say it right now. You might be a bit on the crazy side, however I have a sinking suspicion that this plan will work like a charm." Ooi said.

It took the four ship girls about six minutes to get ready, arming torpedoes and setting them for high-speed or low speed runs, setting the correct depth for torpedoes, etc.

"We set?" Walker asked.

"Bring it!" Mahan boomed. "As ready as I will ever be." Ooi said. "I guess we could get moving." Kitakami said.

"Alright! Start operation!" Walker yelled.

Kitakami and Ooi raced toward the Heavy Cruisers and fired torpedoes the Type 93s had an insane range of 40 kilometers on slow setting, plus due to their pure Oxygen fuel they didn't leave bubble trails. Then the two torpedo cruisers roared toward the oncoming enemy destroyers and torpedo cruiser.

(I think it's time for a little background music. Where did I put that Matrix OST CD? Ah found it. BGM: _Matrix OST: Spybreak_ )

Torpedo Impulse charges fired launching eighty Type 93 Torpedoes toward the oncoming heavy cruisers. The enemy cruisers opened fire at Kitakami and Ooi but it was more or less harassing fire than anything else really. They were so focused on trying to bag the fleeing torpedo cruisers that even if they _could_ have seen torpedo wakes, they wouldn't have noticed them. Thus it bite them in ass, a fusillade of explosions rocked the area as the torpedoes impacted and ripped the enemy force apart the sheer power of the blasts was impressive. "Enemy force to the rear has been destroyed! Moving to intercept enemy torpedo squadron!" Ooi called into the radio, it seemed like a thunderous noise of battle answered her, she could just make out Walker's voice. "Great job! That torpedo squadron will bite us in the ass really hard if we aren't careful! Moving to engage enemy heavies now!" Just as Walker finished speaking a hellish explosions roared through the com link and it went dead. _Oh_ _that can't good._ Ooi thought, getting worried for the safety of her ship girls in arms, she wasn't sure why but she felt like she was getting a lot more protective of the ship girls she worked with.

Things were going crazy with Walker and Mahan, they were charging the enemy demon and her princess escort. Shells were constantly landing among them, the enemy was trying to get the range, suddenly Mahan wailed in pain. Walker looked over to her and wish she hadn't; Mahan was struggling to get back to her feet her helmet utterly wrecked, her uniform in tatters, one of her torpedo launchers wrecked, she had taken a lucky hit. _Damn them to hell! Mahan just took a hell of a whack! They will pay for that!_ Walker thought bitterly, at seeing the state those hits had left someone she considered family in. The two destroyers didn't hear the chaos of battle erupting to their portside as Ooi and Kitakami clashed with the enemy torpedo squadron and went to work. Walker and battered Mahan continued to race toward the enemy, with the intent of clashing with planting torpedoes into their sides.

XXXX

(BGM ends for a moment)

Twenty miles away Hidoiame had noticed the chaos and grinned, finally a chance for payback! She had lost her older sister Kagerou to the Abyssals, in the early stages of the Iron Bottom Sound Operation, what claimed her she didn't know. What she did know however was that Kagerou had died peacefully not below the waves; but she had died in her arms. She had then been ordered to go and find a place where if they had to they could take some of the wounded if need be. She had succeeded in doing that, now she was out trying to find a four stack destroyer. That was when a thunderous, ear-shattering explosion reached her ears and a fireball erupted to life on the horizon.

XXXX

(Que BGM again! Such a badass soundtrack Matrix is)

Walker screamed in pain as a lucky 10in AP round slammed into her, rattling her and stunning her more than anything, yet it missed a boiler on her outfit by scant inches, which was a stroke of luck, had it hit the boiler it likely would have exploded. Mahan was running ragged trying to get herself to keep up with Walker. This battle was all too familiar for her however, mainly because she had faced down a Battlecruiser with Mahan toward the end of the 2nd battle of the Java Sea, right after that, well she didn't want to think about that in too great of detail, it well scared her beyond belief mainly because of the style of fighting she had seen as well as the nature of the enemies that they were fighting; even the _creatures_ in the sea scared her.

"Ready Mahan?" Walker yelled.

"Yeah" Mahan replied she sounded weak, damnit that hit she had taken earlier had really screwed her over, for all Walker knew she could be dying.

"Don't worry, Mahan. I swear I will get you to medical aid after this battle is over." Walker said, and she meant every word too, she had-had so many adventures with Mahan it wasn't even funny. Including a fiasco with a seemingly bad luck bound _Fletcher_ -class Destroyer Girl after that incident they had become best friends and where still in touch even to this day.

"Thanks Walker, I knew I could count on you." Mahan said weakly. The two destroyer girls raced up both sides. "FIRING TORPEDOES!" They called out in unison. Walker and Mahan then began firing their hand-held guns. Suddenly an ear-splitting _boom_ and a massive fireball appeared. Walker cheered the destroyer princess screamed which was then suddenly cutoff as she exploded violently. Suddenly an ear-shattering, roar of an explosion reached her ears. Mahan had just blown the enemy demon right out of the water! Its twisted remains continuing to explode as it descended rapidly into the depths of the ocean "HELL YEAH! That's what I am talking about!" Walker yelled over the alto of explosions.

(End BGM sadly)

It became apparent very quickly that the enemy blockading force to the northern entrance of Iron Bottom Sound was centered on that Battlecruiser Demon, after seeing it get pasted. The survivors in the torpedo squad went "Screw you guys! I am going home!" and quickly retreated into the depths; however they had been pasted pretty badly by Kitakami and Ooi with only the Torpedo Cruiser remaining although heavily damaged and four destroyers it had practically been a battle of who could dodge better, quite literally.

XXXX

Walker grunted as she began to support Mahan. Kitakami and Ooi sailed up to the two of them. "What happened to Mahan?" Ooi asked.

"She took a direct hit to her bridge area from a 10in shell I think it was AP. It just wrecked her, she needs a doctor. We've both been through hell and back before; on _several_ occasions actually. But I haven't been through hell and back like that since well July of '42; now _that_ was a rough fight." Walker said but the tone of her voice said she was very worried for her best friend Mahan; it was obvious that she and Mahan were close friends or at the very least sisters in the way they acted.

"Oh, I hope she will be alright. It seems that she is a trooper but has her limits." Ooi said with a slight amount of awe in her voice at the fact that two four stack destroyers had just destroyed a _Battlecruiser Demon_ literally _single-handedly_ the amount of respect that she had for the two four stack destroyer girls went up by an insane amount.

That was when Kitakami spotted something in the distance and brought up her high angle gunsight, zooming in on the object on the horizon. She was just barely able to make the features of a _Kagerou_ -class Destroyer Girl out. _Just_ barely at that. "Unknown _Kagerou_ -class destroyer girl, at bearing 348 on the horizon, making towards me at twenty-five knots, this is the Torpedo Cruiser Girl Kitakami assigned to the 1st Joint USN/JMSDF Torpedo Squadron. Please slow your approach to fifteen knots and identify yourself." She said into the TBS system that she had, which was really just an ear mounted blue tooth receiver transmitter device.

 _That_ got Walker's attention _real_ damn fast. "Okay, wasn't expecting this, who the hell is she?" Walker demanded, she hated surprises like this. Last time she had a shock like this was during the Crusade to liberate the Lemurian City of Aryaal when they had found out that the Japanese Battlecruiser _Amagi_ which they had tangled with before going through a weird ass squall had survived being rattled with impulse charges and having two Mark 15 torpedoes slammed into her side. Had survived and had sided with the enemy, they caused so much pain and grief for Walker, Mahan, their crews, and their new allies.

"I don't know, Walker. Wait. Okay she heard me she is slowing down her approach from twenty-five knots to fifteen knots. She should be identifying herself shortly. She is a _Kagerou_ -class destroyer girl. I can say for certain that much. Don't know _which_ _Kagerou_ -class destroyer girl she could be. Only about five are left; the class was gutted pretty badly in the Iron Bottom Sound Operation. What was the official designation for it anyway for the USN, for us; it was Operation IBS." Kitakami said.

"It was called Operation: Battle-Axe. While the losses were staggering the Operation was considered a massive success. Which I do believe that is true, however we did suffer pretty bad losses." Walker said.

That was when the TBS (Talk between Ships) crackled. The unidentified ship girl was answering Kitakami's hail. The voice had a nice sort of Siberian accent to it, which Walker thought was bizarre for a Japanese _Kagerou_ -class destroyer girl, yet it was also vaguely familiar; however Walker wasn't sure where she had heard this voice until she heard the name of the _Kagerou_ -class destroyer girl.

"This is the JMSDF affiliated destroyer girl Hidoiame; Kitakami, I thought you were captured, plus I haven't heard of the name of the unit that you are assigned to before. Please clarify; who is your flagship?" Hidoiame said voice laced with a questioning attitude.

Kitakami and Walker shared a look "I've got this." Walker said this was the _one_ destroyer girl who was part of the _Kagerou_ -class that she had _no_ intention of meeting in this second life, but she had learned a long time ago that fate if it wanted to could be a bitch; so she guessed that she should have expected to come across her at least once.

"JMSDF affiliated destroyer girl Hidoiame; this is the Flagship of the 1st Joint USN/JMSDF Torpedo Squadron Walker. It's been a while since we have last meet, remember Formosa Strait in '44?" Walker said.

"Now I'm _seriously_ confused! Walker I thought you were captured or killed during Operation: IBS! You have a bit of explaining to do!" Hidoiame snapped, first off she was upset that she had meet the Four-piper that had kicked her ass pretty effectively in '44 in the Formosa Strait and she was confused she had heard about the destruction of DesRon29 as well as having heard that the survivors had been captured.

"Hidoiame, I _promise_ you that I will explain everything. However Mahan is critically wounded and needs a doctor. I suppose you have a nice little bolt-hole set up somewhere?" Walker inquired.

Hidoiame blew out a frustrated sigh "Walker, I have no idea how you knew that but yes I do. Please follow me to Savo Island, I will let Canberra know that I found whoever owned that damn small airplane. I wonder who it does belong to." Hidoiame said.

Walker chuckled slightly "Hidoiame, you seriously didn't see the black '163' in front of the American star on its fuselage? You need glasses my friend." She said.

"Oh shut the hell up! Before I make you shut up!" Hidoiame snapped, making Walker, Kitakami, and Ooi giggle at the fact that Walker had probably just succeeded in getting under the more advanced destroyer girl's skin.

"Walker, you definitely know how to get under someone's skin; that I do have to admit." Ooi noted.

"Yeah I know it" Walker said, she paused slightly before adding "Oh no she's mad."

"I guess you're right." Kitakami said.

XXXX

Admiral Shane's C-37 touched down at Naval Station Pearl Harbor about three days later. The reason it took him three days to get to Pearl Harbor Naval Station, was that he had wanted to spend a day on Pearl Harbor and figure out who was on Midway, as well let the girls who were there what who was going to arrive in a few days' time. In the meantime he needed to get two more light cruisers and three more heavy cruisers, plus three Battleships.

He figured he would go on a walk to a favorite spot where American Ship Girls could mourn the fallen. It was a simple statue made of red granite; more than a few of the officers and enlisted men said that it bore a resemblance to Admiral Halsey which was true it was based on said Admiral.

Just like the Memorial to the fallen Japanese Ship Girls in Yokosuka bore a resemblance to Captain Okita a man who had lost his life fighting off an Abyssal Task Group with literally very limited support; his small fleet had defended Yokosuka just before the first ship girls went active. Literally his fleet had been composed of _Kongou_ -class Guided Missile Destroyer JDS _Myoukou_ , three _Murasame_ -class Destroyers (1994) JDS _Inazuma_ , JDS _Ikazuchi_ , and JDS _Ariake_ , with some submarine support in the form of two _Souryu_ -class Attack Submarines and one _Los Angles_ -class Attack Submarine JDS _Souryu_ or Green Dragon (or is it Blue Dragon? Depends on the source I guess), and JDS _Hiyru_ or Flying Dragon, the American _Los Angles_ -class Submarine USS _Key West_ SSN-772. The small task force had literally managed to hold off an Abyssal Task Force composed of five Ta-class Battleships, four Ri-class Heavy Cruisers, two Ne-class Heavy Cruisers, seven light cruisers of varying types, and fifteen destroyers of varying types. In the end, the _Myoukou_ had been sunk with heavy loss of life, as had the _Ariake_ and _Inazuma_ , while the submarine _Souryu_ was lost with all hands and the submarine _Hiyru_ was sunk as well but somehow about fifteen men and women on board her managed to survive. In a seemingly cruel twist of fate the _Key West_ somehow got through the battle unscathed even though she had been in the thick of the fighting, although her crew was rattled pretty severely. The Destroyer _Ikazuchi_ was also a total loss her captain having beached her to prevent her from sinking. Yet Captain Okita had prevented an enemy task force from getting Yokosuka and bombarding the hell out of it, he was certain that even Tokyo would have gotten a similar treatment. As a result Captain Okita's exploits were required study for Japanese Ship Girls.

To Admiral Shane's surprise he found several ship girls putting flowers on the memorial, he wondered who they were but as he drew closer he quickly identified them two were of the _Cleveland_ -class, one was of the _Des Moines_ -class, another was of the _Alaska_ -class, and one from the _Gearing_ -class. He waited behind them for them to finish praying once they were done he cleared his throat. The _Gearing_ whirled on her heel and Shane identified her as destroyer Perkins formally USS _Perkins_ DD-877. Perkins stood at around five feet tall, with hazelnut eyes and black hair cut short. "Attention on Deck!" she barked. Perkins was dressed simply a maroon Polo shirt and khaki shorts.

The other four ship girls whirled saw Shane and came to rigid attention and saluted. "At ease." Shane said after he returned to their salutes. "Is it alright if I join you?" Shane asked.

"Be our guest admiral, we really need the company to help get us over losing so many friends during Operation: Countdown." One the _Cleveland_ -class Cruiser Girls said, she stood about five feet four and half inches tall with long jet black hair and aqua colored eyes. She was wearing a dark brown button down shirt and black gym shorts.

"Alright, Pasadena it's okay. I think our losses wouldn't have been so bad had I managed to get the Brits on board. But they are still trying mop up in the Asiatic Fleet Operating Area. So part of it is my fault, and for that I am sorry." Shane replied.

"Admiral, please don't beat yourself up over this, if anything we should be proud of ourselves that despite our losses we managed to give a mortal blow to the Abyssals in the Pacific." The _Des Moines_ -class Heavy Cruiser Girl, Dutch Harbor formally USS _Dutch Harbor_ CA-141 said, she had long snow white hair tied in a braid and dark grey eyes. Dutch Harbor usually wore a heavy winter coat, with white heavy under garments under that, and then under that a cold water immersion survival suit; but she usually wore that when she was deployed to the Bering Sea Area or the North Atlantic in the winter. Today however she was dressed in something simpler, today she was wearing a light brown Tee shirt and grey corduroy shorts as well as a ship ball cap.

"I hope to god Alaska is alright, if not I don't think I could ever forgive myself. She is my sister ship." The _Alaska_ -class Large Cruiser Girl Gaum said. Gaum was about five feet eight inches tall, and had curly grey hair, a black pencil thin mustache, and stunningly sharp brown eyes.

"Don't worry, Gaum I am certain that we will find her. Or at the very least find something that we can relate to her. I promise you that." Admiral Shane said, he hated seeing the mess that Gaum was in. Gaum was wearing a cut down version of summer whites, with a combo cover.

"Admiral, I haven't seen you on base in quite a while. Where have you been recently?" The other _Cleveland_ -class Light Cruiser Girl; Miami said. Miami shared a lot of features with Pasadena since they were of the same class. Hair style and height mainly, Miami's eyes were dark purple in color while her hair was brown with black streaks running through it. Miami was wearing a Hawaiian Button down shirt with flamingos on it and a robin egg blue back ground color and red gym shorts.

"Trust me Miami, its complicated. However, I have been ordered by the Secretary of the Navy," Admiral Shane said as he began to explain the mission profile for the task force as well as its composition.

When he was finished Perkins let out an impressively long low whistle "Admiral, I know that you already have three destroyers, but one 'gold-plater' and a pair of 'Special-Type Destroyers' I have a feeling they will need some help in the form of some extra AA and ASW muscle in that department. Permission to join the task force?" She said, hopefully.

"Perkins, permission granted, welcome aboard." Shane and stuck his hand out then regretted as Perkins took it firmly and shook it. Perkins had a firm enough handshake to probably Polar Bear wince.

"Admiral, I would love to join up as well." Miami said.

"Me too, admiral!" Pasadena quipped wanting to be with her sister.

"Good to hear, it's nice to know that you have the sort of spunk that make you want to get back in the fight." Shane noted.

"Yes sir, thank you sir!" Pasadena and Miami said together.

"Dutch, Gaum what about you?" Shane asked.

"I want in, sir. Anything to help me get over losing Newport." Dutch said.

"I guess you could me in sir. Besides I really want to find Alaska." Gaum said, the tone of her voice saying she was raring to go.

 _Didn't expect this, however I shouldn't be complaining_. Admiral Shane thought then he had another thought _However this is nice, now I only need to find one more Heavy Cruiser and the Battleships. Maybe a scout cruiser to help out the destroyer section to get some firepower. Guess I need to go off to find Marblehead._ "That's damn good news. Alright so I want the four you to be at Midway by the end of the week."

"YES ADMIARL!" The ship girls chorused.

"Good to hear" Shane said.

XXXX

Admiral Shane was going through paper work in his office around seventy minutes later. That was when he spotted something. It was a letter from High Admiral Dufrane commanding officer of the British Ship Girl Home Fleet. He opened it and read it.

 _From: High Admiral Dufrane; CO of the British Ship Girl Home Fleet_

 _To: Vice Admiral Terrance Shane; CINC of the American Pacific Ship Girl Fleet_

 _Vice Admiral Shane,_

 _It seems that word of your mission to liberate Abyssal POW camps in the Pacific have gotten around pretty quickly. I've been pestered by Vanguard, Warspite, Ark Royal, Cossack, Express, Electra, Arrowhead, Buttercup, Bittersweet, Hawke, Renown, and hell even Hood. They are all raring to go to come and give you a hand. Sure others have asked but those come into my office every day, well save Hood but she pops in when she can to ask me. I am not the only one as well. Admiral Regal of the Marine Nationale is having an issue as well. I swear it's probably due to the fact that we know for a fact that some of the ship girls under our commands have meet each other previously. Anyway, I have caved and I have sent Warspite, Admiral Regal is sending the submarine Surcouf, and Admiral Nishizumi of the Deutsche Marine is sending the Pre-Dreadnought Battleship Hannover. I tried to convince Admiral Caesar of the Marine Militare to lend something. However he said that they were bogged down with trying to kick the Abyssals out of the Aegean Sea; so sadly no dice from him. However it's safe to say word gets around quickly. Anyway that takes care of your battleship issue; to be frank I am certain that the Secretary of Navy put out a call for aid to help you get this task force together. I do remembering receiving a letter from him. Anyway good luck to you Admiral._

 _Sincerely,_

 _High Admiral Dufrane_

Admiral Shane was floored by this but to be frank he should have been expecting it. His orders had stated that if needed he was to go to other Admirals and get help due to the murderous losses that their ship girl fleet had suffered. However he hadn't expected to receive aid from the British and the Germans. However this made finding Battleship Girls who wanted in to this task force a hell of a lot easier. However he also knew that Admiral Caesar could be a tricky one. For all he knew an Italian Ship Girl could have been shipped to the states and could be enroute as he sat here.

XXXX

Pope was sitting inside Yuudachi's cell, the Abyssal POW camps, their cells were subdivided blocks each contained up to twenty cells, each cell could hold up to four to five ship girls. There were several hundred Cell blocks in this camp. However she was worried, she had heard a few gunshots in the courtyard today, rifles from the sound alone, and then a loud explosion. Everyone had scattered in fright and Pope in mortal fear had sprinted back to Yuudachi's cell. She had been surprised to find Portland right behind her. Yet she didn't care she then got into a corner and had curled into a ball.

"Pope" Portland said worriedly, picking the smaller girl up effortlessly and walking over to a bed before sitting down with Pope in her lap.

"Please, Portland. Leave me alone. I am scared right now. Please leave me alone. Right now I just need alone time." Pope said with a full body shiver.

"That is bullshit and you know it. The best way to get over fear is to face it. Granted I am certain that we were all running in fear when those shots rang out." Portland admitted.

Pope stared at Portland in mild shock, damnit she was right. What would Walker, Mahan, or god help her Hoel, Heermann, or Johnston say to her how could she live up to fact that she always had been scared by even the light cruiser type Abyssals and would just lock up at the sight of a Battleship type Abyssal.

"Yeah, it's true. I am nothing but a fraidy cat." Pope laminated shame in her voice.

"Pope, you may consider yourself a fraidy cat. But I don't see it like that. You had to have a lot of courage to do what you did to break Batdivi9 out of that encirclement. In my eyes that is not fear but bravery." Portland growled.

That was when a voice laced with exhaustion echoed down the hallway. "Help, poi" it was Yuudachi and it sounded like she was hurt and carrying someone. Portland gave Pope a look that said 'Stay here, don't worry I will be back'. Sure enough several minutes later Portland returned helping Yuudachi and a ship girl who was in rather bad shape. Unfortunately Pope recognized this girl, she was the Escort Carrier Girl Gambler Bay. Worse Pope noticed with a shiver that Gambler Bay had a trio of dark red holes in her chest; she had been shot. However at least four shots had resounded, that's when Pope, saw the gash in Yuudachi's dress, a round had grazed her. It probably hurt like hell but she didn't show it.

"How is Gambler?" Pope asked.

"She probably isn't going to make it, if she makes through the night though her chances of surviving are good. Yuudachi managed to drag her with some help to Vulcan's cell who gave her some Morphine; don't know how she got her hands on that. However it stopped her from screaming bloody murder. But Morphine sadly doesn't stop bleeding. It's just a pain reliever designed to stop someone who had grievous wound the type that nothing could be done for, from screaming bloody murder." Portland said dejectedly slamming her fist against the wall of the cell.

"It's so true, Poi." Yuudachi said.

"How did Gambler get shot?" Pope asked.

"She tried to stop a ST-Class Infantry Abyssal from shooting execution style John D. Ford. The way she did it was impressive to. Just before the Abyssal could squeeze the trigger, Gambler grabbed the rifle and shoved it to one side. That caused the first set of gunshots. She then delivered a round house punch to the things stomach followed by an elbow to the head and then a kick to the nuts. Well John seeing her chance got up and ran straight to Utah who took her in a reassuring grasp and then the pair ran into one of the buildings. Well then that ST-Class Infantry got mad as hell and then shot Gambler in the chest then fired a burst at Yuudachi but only one round grazed her. It ended when a Ri-class having heard the gunshots came into the court yard saw what was happening, raised its gun mount thing and fired once, that is what caused the explosion. An 8in shell impacting it. I guess you could say it got 'executed for incompetence'." Portland supplied.

Pope raised an eyebrow "Executed for incompetence indeed. However will Gambler survive? I hope to god that she does." She said with a gleeful giggle.

"Me too; Pope, me too. Poi." Yuudachi said.

They did the best they could for Gambler Bay. However it quickly became obvious that she wasn't going to survive the night. Portland notified one of the guards who told her, 'Let us know when she passes on. We will collect her.' By the time this had happened Gambler was struggling to remain awake. Just before she blacked out completely she managed to say one last thing. "Godamnit once again done in by gunfire; this is seriously embarrassing for a Carrier like me." She softy in an extremely weak and dying voice, although it was tinged with embarrassment. "I guess I will be with St. Lo soon enough." She barely managed to add.

Pope was crying her eyes out when a pair of Abyssal Medics came in and carried a deceased Gambler Bay however before leaving one of them said "Remember she may be gone physically, but she is not gone spiritually. Just remember her in your heart and she will never be totally gone." Not that it helped matters, Pope literally cried herself to sleep; however she had the weirdest dream.

XXXX

 _BGM: Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies OST: Briefing II Second Strike_

 _A man with gaunt features a balding head and in a BDU walked in. Someone called out "Attention on deck!" the man simply said "At ease" with an unsynchronized thunder as all of the men and women in the room sat down. The man pressed a button and a mission briefing software system booted up. It showed an island, a bunch of red and orange targets. Plus several airborne units with blue and green circles around them. They were marked as Mobius, Javelin, Black Knights, Jolly Rodgers, Wardog, Garudas, and Bone Arrows. Each was a squadron contained anywhere from four fighters for Wardog Squadron and Bone Arrow Squadron, eight for Mobius and Javelin Squadrons, while the Black Knights, Garudas, and Jolly Rodgers had 12 planes each._

" _Alright, time to start the briefing. We will be using our last two battle ready carriers to launch a massive pre-emptive strike on this Abyssal POW camp; that has been discovered by a survivor from Destroyer Squadron 29. Blackbird flights over this island have revealed that the Abyssals have heavily fortified this island. It has about sixty medium surface batteries, twenty heavy surface batteries, and seven super heavy surface batteries. Plus a multitude of various AA guns. Also however we have discovered that this island is home to a large Abyssal Airbase. So expect heavy resistance from enemy planes. However, getting Air Superiority was the original objective; it has been changed drastically." The man said._

" _In what way Good fellow?" A man who was part of Bone Arrow Squadron asked._

" _Omega the mission has been changed from Air-to-Air to Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground. This is no longer a pre-emptive strike, but a mission to liberate this POW camp. We will have USN SEAL Team Six going is in for this liberation mission, it's that whole damn unit too. That is just from the United States, from the United Kingdom a pair of SAS teams are also going to take part, as well as UNF's famous 'Howling Commandos' are partaking as well. This POW camp the prisoners that compose its population are ship girls. It's high time, we busted them out of that joint. We will also be working in concert with Task Force 34.2.1 Call Sign 'Savior'. Task Force Savior will be a force of American, Russian, German, British, French, and Italian Ship girls. They will deal with the Abyssal Fleet Forces designated in the bay. Give them CAS if they ask for it. Alright? Good dismissed!" Good Fellow said._

 _The pilots stood and slowly filed out of the briefing room. To go and man there planes._

XXXX

A/N: I am not dead if you wondering. I have to deal with College Midterms that is the main reason for the delay. As always leave a review, favorite, and follow this story; hope you enjoy the chapter.

As always keep an eye on your 180 and give them hell!


	5. Chapter IV

A/N: So just for a recap Admiral Shane's fleet is composed of the following.

Aircraft Carriers: Enterprise and Striker

Battleships and Pre-Dreadnoughts: Warspite and Hannover

Heavy Cruisers and Large Cruisers: Dutch Harbor, Gaum, and Kirov

Light Cruisers: Pasadena, Miami, and Sverdlov

Destroyers: Inazuma, Fubuki, Perkins, and Blach

Submarine: Surcouf

I can tell you right now that believe me I would have had the Germans send over a true Battleship but then figured they wouldn't because of strategic reasons, unless something happens, not to mention the Germans didn't build that many Battleships during WWII. However the Italians are sending over a Battleship Girl Impero a member of the _Littorio_ -class of Battleship. Yet Shane doesn't know it yet. Anyway, let's get on with the show shall we?

XXXX

 _It was hell plain and simple for the members of the JMSDF First Battleship Division which was centered on Yamato, Musashi, Shinano, Aoba, Ibuki, Kaya, and Momo. They had gotten separated from the Third Battleship Division centered on Nagato, Mutsu, Takao, Atago, Mikuma, and Hatsuharu. The group had promptly been surrounded by no less than seven Battleships, fifteen heavy cruisers, ten light cruisers, twelve AA Cruisers, and twenty destroyers. They were all of elite ranking or higher. To make matters worse five light carriers plus a pair of Wo-class standard carriers had thrown the weight of their air wings in as well. Shinano was trying her best to protect everyone but they were getting leakers. Lots of leakers too. Musashi was a fire in several locations and listing heavily yet her 18.1in Naval Rifles were yet to be silenced, she had Aoba staying close to her trying to help with AA fire, while Kaya stayed close Shinano, and Ibuki stayed close to Yamato. Yet it was hopeless; they would be lucky to get out of this alive. Everyone also knew that for that chance to happen it would have to happen soon. However Momo was being carried fireman style by Ibuki, she was in pretty bad shape. Yamato was nursing a broken arm, and two of her main gun turrets had already been destroyed, enemy bombs and powerful enemy AP shells being responsible. Suddenly an area behind the circling enemy warships was light up with fire, around fifteen AGM-65 Maverick-F missiles roared skyward and then after about two minutes of flight the missiles dropped like Thor's trusty hammer Mjolnir onto the Abyssals. The Battleships and a fair number of cruisers ceased to exist as the heavy 675lb warheads blew them apart. Then rapid fire bangs slammed out and the LCS ships USS Freedom, USS Detroit, USS Montgomery, USS Tulsa, and USS Oakland closed in firing their 57mm guns. Enemy ships were exploding like flares, then to the Japanese Ship Girls amazement the Freedom and Oakland turned broadside on and special ramps just for ship girls were lowered into the drink. Just as they were making their way toward the ramps and to safety again suddenly the sky was lightened up by fire, a quartet of ASROCs climbed into the air having been fired from the Tulsa and then plunged into the water…just as Aoba's legs exploded the Japanese ship girls looked around franticly for the shooter. Aoba was screaming, both of her legs were completely gone, combined with damage that she had taken earlier it was a kin to being blasted in half. Aoba didn't scream for long, she sank like stone her outfit not even pausing to break-up. Two Enlisted Ratings onboard the Oakland yelled "SONOFABITCH!" in unison. Then something flashed about 1,500 meters away and underwater from where the Japanese Ship girls were. The ASORCS had just scored the bulls-eye on the Abyssal Submarine that had just killed Aoba. Sending it to the bottom._

XXXX

The pride and joy of the Japanese Ship Girl fleet Yamato awoke from the nightmare with a short, sharp gasp. She looked around before realizing she was safe and at the docks at the Yokosuka Naval District. She had been told she was going to be in here for another month at least give or take two weeks depending on how the repairs went. Musashi on the other hand at least a year maybe more in the docks. Do to her taking no less than twelve torpedo hits, ten bomb hits, and dozens if not hundreds of shell hits. Hell she had been on the verge of sinking. Shinano had somehow survived without a scratch; but the youngest of the three Yamato sisters was still beating herself up over the fact that Aoba as annoying as she was at times was gone. Killed by an enemy Submarine that had nailed her with according to the SONAR sweeps from the USS _Detroit_ three torpedoes; it had been blasted out of the water by the USS _Tulsa_ using ASORCs Mark 54 MAKOs which meant none of the Japanese ship girls could relish in fact that they had avenged Aoba, personally. Still it felt good knowing the monster that had taken Aoba had been killed.

"Hey Yamato how are you doing?" An American Battleship Girl said, her name was Nevada, as she walked into the docks. While her nickname was the 'cheer-up ship', Nevada was at loss at how to get Yamato cheered up. So she decided to play a card that she rarely used; a lot of people didn't know it but Nevada was a certified pilot for Historical Aircraft.

"Not too good Nevada. I, Yamato is still trying to get over the shock of losing Aoba." Yamato admitted, on the verge of tears.

"I understand Yamato, hell I lost several close friends or ships I even considered family: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado. All were sunk during that battle, however the way Arizona went out was impressive. Last I saw her she was afire listing heavily yet she didn't give a damn. Her guns were roaring defiance while she snuck up on an Anchorage Hime; somehow she got close enough that when her magazines blew up. The fireball enveloped the Hime and caused it to explode as well." Nevada said, Nevada dressed up like you're a typical cowgirl. Khaki pants, a white shirt, with red Bandana complete with a ten gallon hat. She had silk white hair with brown eyes and stood around 5 feet 7 inches tall.

"I am sorry to hear that." Yamato said looking at Nevada.

"Don't worry about it. I have gotten over it. Also I talked to Yubari she said that your repairs will be done by tomorrow morning, ahead of schedule. If you want to meet me by airstrip at around 5:00 pm, you with have quite the fun time I promise you that." Nevada said with a wink as she walked out of the room.

 _What does she mean by that?_ Yamato thought with curiosity.

XXXX

After getting out of the docks, Yamato hurried over to the airstrip, once she got there she was surprised to see sitting on the taxiway a plane; it was a great big dark navy blue twin engine aircraft, with cockpit that could hold two people. She wondered idly what Nevada had meant by "You will have a fun time." She got her answer when Nevada walked out from under the fuselage touching it, as if she was looking for defects that could impair the function of the plane in flight. Nevada looked vastly different from what she looked like normally. She was now dressed in a flight suit and tucked under her arm was a flight helmet. She looked up and saw Yamato and made a come here gesture.

Yamato sighed but walked over to Nevada anyway. "Nevada why are you dressed in a flight suit and what is this aircraft I haven't seen one that has looked like this before." Yamato admitted.

Nevada grinned, "Okay this plane is a replica of an F7F-4N Tigercat; a fairly powerful plane, but since this plane is replica it is not armed but normally, it would have been armed with four M2 .50 caliber Machine Guns and four M2 20mm Cannons. It's powered by two Pratt and Whitney R-2800-34W Double Wasp Engines kicking out 2,100 horsepower each. This plane has a rate of climb of 4,530 feet per minute or roughly 23 meters per second, it has a service ceiling of 40,000 feet or 12,000 meters, it has a top speed of 460 miles per hour or 740 kilometers per hour. Not to mention it has a range of 1,200 miles or 1,900 kilometers." She said with pride in her voice.

Yamato slowly figured out what she and Nevada were going to do. "Nevada, I, Yamato have never flown a plane before." Yamato said with a slight frown.

"I never said you were going to be flying. I am going to be the one driving the plane. Also here, you are going to need this." Nevada said as she handed Yamato a flight helmet. It had a familiar outline on it, it took Yamato a minute to figure out what IT was. It was an outline of her old battleship likeness it was pretty well done to.

It took a few minutes to get Yamato inside the Tigercat and then Nevada followed up inside and sat in the pilot's seat. Nevada told her to sit in the RADAR operator's seat. "Alright here we go." Nevada said as she began to go through the process for starting the engines. Just before she started them she yelled through the open window of the cockpit "CONTACT!"

The engines coughed once then developed a healthy roar.

"Alright, then" Nevada said as she moved her oxygen mask closer to her mouth. "Tower this is Tigercat three-seven-niner call sign 'Bronco eight' requesting permission to taxi." Nevada said.

"Tower to Tigercat three-seven-niner, permission to taxi granted." The traffic controller said.

"Roger that tower, taxiing now." Nevada said. The Tigercat lurched forward and it began to move ever so slowly at around probably ten to fifteen miles per hour. The plane came to a stop when it got to the runway. "This is Tigercat three-seven-niner requesting permission to take-off." Nevada said calmly.

"Tower to Tigercat three-seven-niner permission granted to take-off. Have a nice day." The traffic controller said.

"Roger that." Nevada said as she advanced the throttles to the stops. The exhaust pipes lit up with blue flames as War Emergency Power was engaged and the big heavy aircraft shot down the runway. After what seemed like an eternity the big aircraft screamed into the air and began to claw for altitude. Yamato simply closed her eyes and prayed that something bad didn't happen, finally a few minutes later. Nevada spoke again "Hey Yamato, take a look around."

Yamato did so, and was amazed by what she saw. It was so pretty. The ocean looked like a mosaic of colors in the slowly setting sun, while the Naval District spread over the land like a blanket. The wakes of a ship girl expedition that was returning seemed to stretch out to the horizon. It was breath taking. "It-it's amazing. I have never been in a plane this is my first time and now I know why pilots always say it's like you're a bird flying above the clouds. It puts the world in a whole new light." Yamato admitted.

"I know, too bad we aren't in something like a MIG-15 it can fly a little higher than the Tigercat, but it's louder. It's always amazing to fly in a plane above a certain height because then you can see the curvature of the Earth. It's incredible it really enforces the known notion that the Earth really is round." Nevada said.

"I, Yamato is very impressed by this plane, I wonder if we could do this more often. It certainly makes for an amazing experience." Yamato admitted.

"Yeah, it's incredible up here. Makes you wonder what we are yet to discover here on Earth. I certainly can't wait for life to settle down once the war against the Abyssals is over. I have always wanted to know; what are we yet to find out about our home planet, and ourselves. Personally to tell you the truth, I would love to discover the wreck of the sunken battleship Oklahoma. It's one of those things I guess." Nevada said, a massive grin on her face. It was obvious that she loved flying.

XXXX

After flying around for nearly an hour, Nevada brought the big plane down in a perfect landing. It appeared at first that they were going to miss the runway thanks in part to a ten mile per hour cross-wind but Nevada simply gritted her teeth and wrestled the plane down and managed to land on the runway. Although it was obvious she was exhausted after having to wrestle the thing to the ground.

"Alright, I guess we might have to do this more often. I wonder what we might find in these old hangers, I am not sure if we will find anything that is worth restoring but it's worth a shot." Nevada said jokingly.

"Maybe, we might find something. I, Yamato look forward to it." Yamato said.

XXXX

It was tense as Walker and her little squadron sailed toward the Japanese Destroyer Girl Hidoiame. Mainly because Walker almost got sunk by Hidoiame; and Hidoiame was nearly sunk by Walker. However Walker was pretty surprised when Hidoiame saw that instead of scowling she gave a slight friendly nod, which Walker returned.

"I guess, I do have some explaining to do. Believe me it's a long and complicated story. I would be really happy to tell you it. However I think we should get out of here, because we just pasted a major Abyssal Battlegroup." Walker said.

"I do agree, follow me to Savo Island. That is where we have quite a number of injured. Also you can explain on the way." Hidoiame said.

"Right, good to hear. Well my radio is still in okay shape. I might be able to get someone on the horn." Walker said.

"The best place to begin is right after the operation. When me, Mahan, Kitakami, and Ooi were captured…" Walker began as she explained the events that led up to herself with Mahan, Ooi, and Kitakami to where they were now.

When Walker finished explaining with help from Ooi and Kitakami an Island had appeared in the strait. It was Savo Island.

XXXX

Walker, Mahan, Ooi, and Kitakami were welcomed openly by the ship girls gathered at Savo Island. After much discussion it was decided that Walker and Hidoiame should make a bee-line for New Caledonia because there was a Naval District there granted it was small, but it did have a satellite uplink capability. It should be a quick dash. However that was a given. Yet Walker had _just_ enough fuel to make the trip. Kitakami and Ooi were sklosh fuel, they _didn't_ even have enough to get out of Iron Bottom Sound.

"Do, I have too?" Hidoiame half growled, half whined obviously still harboring some ill feelings about WWII.

"What are you suddenly five years old now Hidoiame!? Yes damnit you have too!" Canberra growled venomously shooting Hidoiame a very sharp glare that would have sent a Ta-class battleship running in terror and screaming in terror.

Hidoiame shuddered and said weakly "Okay, yes ma'am I will do it."

"It will be nice to work with a former equally matched foe." Walker told Hidoiame cheerfully.

"Shut up Walker! Just because of this one mission doesn't mean we are friends! Oh no, far from it!" Hidoiame snarled.

"Okay then, I have to say. Don't worry Hidoiame, I got your back. Do you have mine?" Walker said.

All stop.

"Wait what? What do you mean by that Walker?" Hidoiame asked surprised and confused at the fact that Walker said she would be watching her back.

"It means that, I am going to be watching you're behind Hidoiame! Making sure that no Abyssal can put a salvo of shells or torpedoes up it that is what we destroyers do; we look after each other." Walker explained at length.

Hidoiame's expression softened as she figured out what Walker meant. Her angry glower turned into a timid smile as she figured out that Walker was sincere about what she had said. "Okay, I guess I will give working with you a shot. If I like it, I might request a transfer to your unit." Hidoiame said in whisper to Walker.

Walker nodded, then said aloud "Destroyer Walker! Heading out!"

Hidoiame then barked "Destroyer Hidoiame! Launching on a sortie!"

"Godspeed you two! Godspeed!" Canberra yelled as the two destroyers began to speed away toward New Caledonia, and the Naval District that was located there.

XXXX

At Pearl Harbor Naval District there was the most advanced ship girl in terms of Battleships in the world, and certainly _the_ most advanced in the USN. She stood roughly six feet three inches tall, had a deep tan to her skin, long flowing blue black hair with streaks of red in it that ran roughly a quarter of the way down her back, and dark green eyes. She wore a light purple dress with light brown highlights, black leggings, and short dark brown heels. Perched on her head and it looked rather ridiculous with her uniform, a ship's ball cap that gave away who she was. Combined with an outline of her old battleship likeness. She also appeared to be around 25 years of age. While one of her sisters was still getting used to the new body having been summoned about 3 months ago, she had been summoned roughly two years ago now. She had four sisters but only one was another ship girl the thing was, her ship body was still afloat and undergoing major repairs, might as well be a full rebuild.

Her name was Kentucky formally USS _Kentucky_ BB-66; she had literally scraped by in terms of being built during her old life in terms of being completed. Only to be crippled and then be scuttled in the 60s after she was hit by a rogue wave that broke her keel as effortlessly as one could break a twig. She had never fired her guns in anger before coming back as a ship girl. Well at least she didn't have to worry about wanting to go barrel-to-barrel with the enemy anytime soon. She was out of rotation having taking a hammering trying to single-handily save the Japanese Battleship Girl Mutsu after she had hit an Abyssal mine and she had fallen out of formation from the 3rd Japanese Battleship Girl Division, she had then been surrounded and with her engines destroyed, she couldn't move. Thus she had gone down swinging, Kentucky didn't take pride in the fact that while she failed to save Mutsu; she did take pride in the fact that she had personally wipe out the two battleships, six torpedo cruisers, and three AA cruisers that sent her to the bottom, in a case of pure revenge, which did comfort Nagato a bit.

Right now Kentucky was sitting at a table outside of Florida's Bar which in all retrospect was similar to the café owned by Mamiya in Yokosuka, save instead it was run by the retired Battleship Girl Florida. "Hey, Kent how are you feeling?" A familiar voice said, Kentucky sighed she hated being called Kent. Kentucky looked up and smiled. It was her older sister, Missouri.

"Not too bad Missouri, not too bad at all actually. How are you doing? I thought you were supposed to be still in the hospital." Kentucky said.

"Yeah, got cleared by the shrink just a few hours ago to go on limited duty; although for us ship girls Limited Duty is practically full time duty for the regular sailors. Figured I would drop by here before I go and help with the repairs to my ship body. However it certainly is worth noting that it was fun helping out the sailors, hell I tried to get as many as I could out of turret three. Yet at least two hundred brave men and women were killed on my ship body alone in that slugfest and our support didn't survive, a pair of OHPs and a _Burke_ class DDG." Missouri said, Missouri was dressed similarly to Kentucky with a dark Navy Blue dress with black highlights, khaki leggings, black heeled shoes, and perched on her head was a Veteran Ship Ball Cap; she had a slightly darker skin complexion than Kentucky, with fire red hair with blonde highlights, and stunning black eyes. However she had a deeper and gruffer voice than Kentucky and also appeared to be around twenty-five.

"Good to hear Mo', it will be quite the thing having a girl like you back on board and ready to get back in the fight." Kentucky said.

"Nope, I am going to be helping with the repairs to my ship body. It announced its presence in a big way, a quartet of 20in High Explosive shells came in, slammed into its superstructure and caused it to fragment, one of the secondary guns fired four times in rapid fire hitting several times. However that greatly angered it, even though it had left one of the new flight three OHPs ( _Oliver Hazard Perry_ -class frigates) a twisted and sinking wreck, it then fired a full thunderous salvo from the entire weight from its broadside. The _Burke_ that was with us USS _Sampson_ just ceased to exist as multiple 20in, 8in, and 5in rounds slammed into its hull and superstructure, there wasn't much left of her, she just exploded straight up. I will never forget my captain's outraged yell of 'Damnit them to hell! Sink that Sonofabitch! Right fucking now before we lose any more ships!' while this was happening we were still blazing away at it. It then fired a salvo of 20in AP shells at the other OHP the concussive blasts from those explosions set fires throughout the ship and then explosions began to chain up and down her hull and superstructure, she turned turtle before suddenly exploding upward like a fiery volcano the force of the blasts tearing her in half. After that, the battle degenerated into a close quarter's brawl, both sides blasting away at each other like heavy weight fighters in a match with no rules. We were losing AA guns like crazy, one of the Tomahawk missile launchers was shot away as was one of the CWIS emplacements. Turret three was popped like a balloon killing almost everyone inside the main turret assembly that is above deck. The shells also ripped open the superstructure pretty effectively, each hit ripping steel open causing explosions that killed men and women inside the superstructure, the fight was certainly lively. The remaining guns thundered and finally we scored trio of citadel hits on the bastard and it exploded in the quite the fireworks show." Missouri explained as she recapped the battle in a nutshell.

"I think they are going to give you the nick name Lucky Mo' simply because luck was on your side for sure in that fight." Kentucky said.

"I wouldn't be surprised, well. I am off to help put my ship body back together." Mo' said as she stood up and left.

XXXX

Kentucky had ordered her lunch, a roast beef sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, all on Rye Bread, for a drink she had some good old fashion Mexican Coca Cola, and for a side a nice helping of curly fries. "Hey Kentucky mind if I sit here?" A voice said. Kentucky looked up recognized who it was dropped the fry she was about to eat then rocketed to attention.

"Admiral Shane, sir!" Kentucky belted out in true military fashion.

"It's alright, Kentucky. No need to salute when we are at a table that has an umbrella over it. Besides you are just the girl I was looking for." Shane said.

"Thank you sir for clarifying that with me, also why were you looking for me?" Kentucky asked confused at what Shane had just said.

"Kentucky, I have been ordered by the Secretary of the Navy. To put together a Task Force that is to be head up by one of our best carrier girls, get a number of battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and if need be a submarine or two. The name of this is Task Force 34.2.1 call sign 'Savoir', the mission for this task force is to find any missing ship girls we can find, as well as mark the locations of Abyssal POW camps. I already have quite a number of ship girls, but I need one more to round out the fleet. I was thinking, you would want to get back in the action because I know that you don't like being on the inactive list." Shane said.

"That is true sir, you know me way to well. I can give you that. I am in." Kentucky said accepting the offer. "So where do I go Admiral?" Kentucky said, curious.

"You will report to Midway Atoll ASAP, Kentucky. I am looking forward to working with you." Shane said.

"Likewise Admiral" Kentucky said.

XXXX

Forty miles away from Midway in a TBM/TBM Avenger Torpedo Bomber assigned to the carrier girl Striker the crew was on a patrol. Scanning the seas for the enemy, and a friendly task force that was going to be showing up soon. That was when the tail gunner spotted something behind and above them. "Heads up, unknown contact above us. Can't figure out what the hell it is." She said. "Roger dodger, if you can figure out what they are that would be great." The pilot said. "Okay" the gunner said simply.

Ten thousand feet above and behind the Avenger which was at 10,000 feet was a German Fairy Flown Arado 196-A-5 from the German Battleship Girl Scharnhorst, who had replaced the Pre-Dreadnought Girl Hannover as she had come down with Influenza the day before she was due to depart, it was so bad she had to be hospitalized, this had essentially put a torpedo in Admiral Nishizumi's plans to send support to Admiral Shane, however the German Battleship Girl Scharnhorst had volunteered to do the mission in Hannover's place. That was when the pilot of the Arado spotted something. The fairy looked squinting her eyes, and then those eyes went wide as they were able to pick out what it was: A flight of five Abyssal Mark VII Fighters, the Mark VIIs were rare and the Nations of the World had only recently figured out who used them most of the time through intercepted communications. They belonged to one of the few known named Abyssal Squadrons: Aquila however with their distinctive yellow markings fairies and regular pilots alike had started calling them Yellow Squadron and the name had stuck.

The Abyssal Mark VII fighter looked like a Mark III fighter, however the areas that were Orange were Yellow usually on that sucker, although olive drab green, and even a mix of red and black had been seen as well. They were one of only three known models of Abyssal Fighter that could carry Abyssal AAMs this one carried the most being able to carry up to 24 of the things in three clusters of four per side. They usually carried the Abyssal AAM Mark V and Mark VI which for all intents and purposes was an Abyssalfied Python-4 and AIM-120D AAMs respectively; however they could also carry bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and hell even gun pods. For gun armament the thing even carried mounted underneath its body three Abyssal 30mm cannons, the thing was as reliable as death when it came to having to fight these things. (In essence think of it as a Su-37 Terminator or Flanker-F as it is known as in terms of Performance.)

The pilot told its observer to quickly send a radio message back to the task force, saying they had ran into Aquila Squadron and that they were engaging. The observer had argued "Hey, we aren't in one of those Navalized Me-262s you know! Those things can literally run circles around us!" she said panicking.

"That's why after you send that message I want you to bail out, and watch the fun." The pilot said cryptically.

"Alright" the observer said, then sent the message saying that she was bailing out, then she promptly bailed.

The Arado then nosed over and went into a dive, the enemy fighter squadron was five thousand feet below the Arado at the start of the dive and five thousand feet above the Avenger. It didn't help that the Abyssal Mark VIIs were also _good_ in combat, being able to give F/A-22Cs or the Sea Raptor a run for its money, as well as Rafael Ms which were the Naval Rafael, F-35Bs which was the VTOL Lighting II, plus F/A-18 Hornets, F-15Es Strike Eagle, J-13, J-20, J-31, T-50s, Su-33s, and hell even the F-3 Shinden II.

XXXX

The Arado roared in, diving rapidly, the fairy pilot selected his target. The number two in the formation. A replacement most likely as the original Aquila two who had the pennant number of four was shot down by Mobius One during Operation: Battle-Axe or Countdown as it was known to the regular forces. She lined it up and squeezed the trigger the plane rattled as the two 20mm cannons screamed through the sky, streams of white, green, and red streaked toward the enemy plane, and punched into its body causing it to shudder, suddenly a wing snapped off it tumbled went belly up and promptly exploded, showering the rest of the squadron in shrapnel. Not even selecting another target the pilot roared by, while the Mark VIIs figured out what just happened, the lead plane quickly gained on him and pulled lead, easily matching the Arado. The pilot looked, just as the three 30mm cannons flashed in a five second burst. The damage was horrific, shells punched through the cockpit somehow missing the pilot but causing the canopy to explode in a shower of glass, the shells also ripped into the wings and tail, sawing the left wing and the tail assembly plus ten feet of the fuselage. The fairy barely managed to get out of the totaled seaplane she yanked her parachute and saw that it had a pair of big ass holes in it. She quickly pulled out a small knife and cut the parachute away then struggled to open the reserve. It opened and slowed her decent, however she was roughly at seven thousand feet, having been in the destroyed fighter for only about minute and had plunged to eleven thousand, had free fallen for roughly another four thousand due to the chute failure.

Obviously shaken at being jumped and losing one of their number to a seaplane recon bird. The squadron gave up the chase of the Avenger, not knowing if there was even Banshees, Panthers, or god help them Cougars. Thus they bugged out.

The Avenger didn't even notice the chaos erupt behind them. (Seriously, someone give that tail gunner some glasses. Because how the fuck do you miss a flaming Arado? Or streams of tracers for that matter?) "Hey boss, I see a parachute at our six o'clock, about 8,000 feet above and behind us looks like a fairy. Wonder where in the Kilo she came from." The tail gunner called out.

"Ah crap, okay this patrol gets better and better." The pilot said she muttered under her breath. "This day is just one big Whisky Tango Foxtrot moment after another. First that SNAFU on take-off, when they nearly hit destroyer Blach as she walked across the runway. Then that near friendly fire incident with a Sea Fury, which had somehow misidentified them as an Abyssal Mark I Fighter. Then an engine cylinder dying on this bird. Just geez and now my gunner needs glasses."

About thirty minutes later the Avenger pilot spotted several wakes, she thus closed in and then grinned. The wakes were several friendly Battleship Girls and submarine girl. One _Queen Elizabeth_ -class Girl, one _Scharnhorst_ -class Girl, one _Littorio_ -class Girl, and one _Surcouf_ -class girl. Earlier they had spotted a force of Ship Girls the outlines had matched those of a _Gearing_ -class Destroyer Girl, a _Iowa_ -class Battleship Girl, a _Alaska_ -class Large Cruiser Girl, a _Des Moines_ -class Heavy Cruiser Girl, and a pair of _Cleveland_ -class Light Cruiser Girls.

XXXX

The girls who the Avenger had just spotted where the girls Warspite formally HMS _Warspite_ , Impero formally the Italian Battleship _Impero_ , the Scharnhorst formally the KMS _Scharnhorst_ , and the Surcouf formally the French Submarine _Surcouf_.

"Hey Warspite! How long until we arrive at Naval District Midway?" Impero asked, Impero had the build that all _Littorio_ -class Battleship Girls had and dressed similarly, save she had dark black hair and eyes as black and cold as those of a shark, however she had a very caring personality which was not what one would expect from her appearance. Her rigging was similar to that of her sisters. She appeared to be around twenty-one.

"By dinner time if we keep up this pace, I am about as ready to get out of this rigging as you are Impero believe me I am." Warspite replied, Warspite or as she was sometimes called 'The Grand Old Lady' was wearing a simple outfit, long royal blue slacks, with a dark red button up shirt. Her appearance was rather unique, due to her nickname 'The Grand Old Lady' she had snow white hair cut military short, with aged but intelligent looking brown eyes, and slightly wrinkled hands, yet they moved with a quickness that surprised everyone, even Warspite on occasion. She appeared to be around twenty-three, even though her slightly wrinkled hands made everyone think save for fellow ship girls and naturally the Admirals she worked with that she was actually in her sixties. Her rigging appeared to be similar to Kongou's, save she had 15in guns instead of 14in guns, and instead of 25mm AA guns, she had a 40mm pom pom guns.

"Good to hear, because I am pretty much beat in terms of endurance." Scharnhorst said. Scharnhorst was the lead ship of her class. She was wearing a simple grey dress that had on its collar the insignia of the German Navy, with a black skirt, she had ginger colored hair and green eyes that sparkled with mischief. Her outfit was compact mounting three turrets mounting 11in guns, plus several 3.7cm guns, 2cm guns, and a few 8.8cm guns for AA defense. Now Scharnhorst wouldn't had been on this mission but Hannover who would had been going had come down with the flu, it was bad enough that she had to be hospitalized. Thus Scharnhorst volunteered to go in her place.

Sailing alongside the three Battleships was a submarine her name was Surcouf formally the French Undersea Cruiser _Surcouf_. She was wearing a nice one piece Red and Blue swimsuit. She had mounted on her right arm, a single 8in twin gun turret, while mounted on her legs where 10 torpedo tubes, it looked similar to her old bow, 6 of the tubes were 550mm and four were 400mm. She had short brown hair and blue eyes, she appeared to be roughly 12 years old simply because when she was a ship; she was comparable in size to a destroyer. "I am too Scharnhorst, however you seem excited, why are you excited?" She asked.

"I know, I am super excited for this mission! It's my first time ever in the Pacific! It's so warm here, I love it so much!" Scharnhorst said, trying not to jump up and down as she was sailing.

"Calm down Scharnhorst, this is a first for everyone, but still calm down." Impero said soothingly trying to get Scharnhorst to calm down.

"Geez give it a rest Impero, I am just super excited! Plus I have a right to be super excited, I have heard that the Flagship of this little task force well one of her nicknames is 'The Grey Ghost' I mean come on! We are going to be working side by side with one of the most famous carrier girls in the entire world!" Scharnhorst said absolutely giddy with excitement.

"WAIT WHAT?!" everyone save Scharnhorst exclaimed together.

"So wait let me get this straight, you're telling me that we are going to be working with Carrier Girl Enterprise?" Warspite asked.

"Yup! We sure are!" Scharnhorst said gleefully.

"I will be damned she was the most famous ship in the Pacific, whereas I am one of the most famous ships that fought in the Atlantic alongside the Graf Spree, Prince Eugen, Hood, Bismarck, Tirpitz, Admiral Hipper, U-38, HMS Venturer, and USS Guadalcanal. Just to name a few." Warspite said reverently with a lot of respect.

"Hmm, this certainly makes this transfer so worth it, at first I hated this this transfer order simply because of the fact that I was going to be separated from my sisters. Now I am not so sure, it certainly makes for an interesting station, I mean I am all for a good liberation and everything but damn." Impero said.

"So true, the only ship that served in the Pacific that comes close to her fame is Musashi and Yamato of the _Yamato_ -class of Battleship. Possibly some others but I can't remember them though." Surcouf said.

XXXX

Enterprise was standing at the edge of a pier pulling back the drawstring on her recurve bow, it was powerful and accurate as all hell. Plus it was rather compact but contained a similar amount of power that a Japanese Long Bow had. Enterprise was trying out her new planes, F8F-1B Bearcats, these things made the Corsair and Hellcat look pretty bad, it was fast, tough, and packed a hell of a punch; not to mention it was fairly agile. The other new plane she was trying was the A-1H Skyraider which while when she was a ship never used these planes, they were vital for this mission. She had wondered why, but from what she had seen the F8F-1B was one of the few piston powered fighter that Fairies could fly that gave even the Abyssal Mark VII a bit of a challenge.

Striker on the other hand was also trying some aircraft as well, Hawker Sea Fury FB 11 and the Westland Wyvern. She was practicing with a crossbow like she usually used.

"I have to admit, the Hawker Sea Fury FB 11 puts the Supermarine Sea Fire L Mk. III that I am used to using to shame in terms of speed, fire power, and range. While the Wyvern puts the Blackburn Suka Mark II and Fairey Albacore to shame in terms of speed, granted it's still slow compared to the fighters but in a pinch it can dogfight, plus it can practically carry the bomb load of a B-25J Mitchel medium bomber. Only grip I have with the thing is the fact that it doesn't have a tail gun. Although I do carry a few Avengers just in case I run out of Wyverns." Striker said.

"I share that sentiment, I mean the Bearcat vastly out performs the Hellcat and Corsair, while the A-1H Skyraider can carry a very impressive payload. Plus it's faster than the Helldiver to quite a degree. Not to mention I don't need Avengers anymore because it can carry torpedoes, it's really a combination dive-bomber/torpedo bomber I guess in a pinch I could use them as fighters." Enterprise remarked watching as one F8F-1B Bearcat winged over into a dive and riddled a target with 20mm cannon fire.

As practice began to wind down Striker got a message from the Avenger she had launched. The message read:

 _Friendly task force located, moving towards the islands. This is the second of two task forces we have found. First Task Force Composition is as follows: One_ Gearing _-class Destroyer Girl, one_ Iowa _-class Battleship Girl, one_ Alaska _-class Large Cruiser Girl, one_ Des Moines _-class Heavy Cruiser Girl, and a pair of_ Cleveland _-class Light Cruiser Girls. The second task force composition must be that International Task Force that the Admiral told us about, but something is off with its composition though. Its composition is: one_ Queen Elizabeth _-class Battleship Girl, one_ Littorio _-class Battleship Girl, one_ Scharnhorst _-class Battleship Girl, and the Submarine Girl_ Surcouf _. Wasn't the composition for this task force supposed to have Pre-Dreadnought Girl_ Hannover _instead of a_ Scharnhorst _-class Battleship Girl? Anyway, we are almost bingo fuel, we are coming home._

Striker was confused, she had heard that the Italians were trying to get help from the French to help them kick the Abyssal out of the Aegean Sea, but it's becoming a tough fight on both the combatants and equipment. They hadn't made any major advances hell the area was a hot bed for enemy submarine activity. Thus the Battleship Girls and the Carrier Girls Aquila and Sparviero were rarely deployed for fear of losing them to submarines. Particularly after the British Battleship Girl Braham was lost to one, even though she had been screened by the _C_ -class Destroyer girls: Charity, Chevron, Comet, and Contest, the _County_ -class Heavy Cruiser Girls: Sussex and Norfolk, and the _Dido_ -class Light Cruiser Girl: Spartan. The loss was very hard for all of them to take. As a result Admiral Caesar would only allow the Battleships or Aircraft Carriers to sortie if they had heavy ASW escort.

XXXX

Admiral Shane was enroute in his C-37 having literally just enough time to get the most important paper work done, then had to take leave to Midway as the last of the Task Force was going to be arriving soon and he wanted to be able to brief the Ship Girls that were now under his direct command. Last time he had been in command of ships had been during RIMPAC 2012. Sometimes he hated his job other times he loved it. He was currently finishing the rest of the paperwork he had to do. He checked his watch and frowned he would be arriving at Midway around 17:00 hours. Which was a little later than she had anticipated, but it couldn't be helped.

XXXX

Blach, Fubuki, and Inazuma walked into the cafeteria and was surprised to see a light cruiser girl and a heavy cruiser girl that they didn't recognize. The light cruiser had sharp Slavic features, with dark black hair and grey eyes, she was wearing a black polo shirt with a red star on it and dark brown pants, she appeared to be about as old as Naka was which made Fubuki think back to the look that Naka had on her face after they had been the victim of a friendly fire incident. The heavy cruiser also had sharp Slavic features with bright blonde hair and amazing blue eyes. She was wearing a blue polo which also had a red star on it located on the chest area, as well as coal black pants. Near both Cruisers were big fur coats. The three destroyers didn't know who they could be. "Should we go see who they are? I wonder who they are." Fubuki said curiosity in her voice. Blach quickly answered "You're right Fubuki, I don't who these two cruisers are plus we need to know everyone in the fleet before we can do the mission." Blach said.

XXXX

Kirov sighed deeply, she was supposed to be on leave but this last minute mission had come up and she was greatly needed for it. She was all for this, yet she hadn't been in Pacific ever. However she did what she was ordered to do. However they had been on base for only a few days now and she usually kept to herself save during sorties. Hell Sverdlov was the only person she would consider a friend really. That was when a voice said from behind her "Hey is it okay if we join you?" Kirov started stood up and turned around. Standing in front of her were three destroyers. One American and two Japanese from there looks alone. "I guess" Kirov said.

The three destroyers sat down, they obviously were curious as to who they were and why they were here. "I am Fubuki by the way, this one is Inazuma the other one is Blach." One of the destroyers said gesturing to the two other destroyers.

"Nice to meet you Fubuki, Blach, and Inazuma. My name is Kirov the light cruiser is Sverdlov." Kirov said.

Blach frowned "I don't know of any ships with those names, just what nation are you from?" She asked.

Surprising everyone Sverdlov answered in a voice that was soft yet carried in an amazing way. "Both myself and Kirov are from the Russian Navy, North Sea Fleet Operating Area, Home Naval District is Murmansk." Sverdlov said.

"So you two are Russians, desu?" Inazuma asked.

"Yes we are, let me tell you, it is cold as all hell during the winter in the North Sea Operating Area." Kirov said, her voice was gruffer, deeper, and a bit brassier as well.

"Really?" Fubuki asked.

"Yes, Fubuki it is, it's not uncommon for it to hit the -4 degrees Celsius on a _warm_ day during the winter. During a cold day well expect temps of up to 50 below zero." Sverdlov replied.

The five ship girls continued talking and sharing stories, during this time they were joined by Enterprise and Striker, and then later on they were joined by Dutch Harbor, Guam, Perkins, Miami, and Pasadena. Around 16:35 hours they were joined by Warspite, Impero, Scharnhorst, and Surcouf. During this time a deep bond was formed between this international fleet of ships.

XXXX

The C-37 was on final approach when Admiral Shane got a message from Pearl Harbor Naval District it was labeled as urgent. "Okay so who is on the other end?" Shane asked as he started the video conference. "Sir, with all due respect and please excuse my language, but it's a fucking miracle! We got survivors from DesRon29! One just pulled into New Caledonia with the Japanese Destroyer Hidoiame behind her." The ship girl responsible for communications Mississippi formally USS _Mississippi_ BB-41 who due to injuries sustained in the defense of a convoy had been retired but had then became a communications expert said.

Shane raised an eyebrow "Mississippi, how I've read reports that the survivors from DesRon29 were captured by the Abyssals after Operation: Battle-Axe yet we have one, what's her name?" Shane asked.

"Sir, her name is Walker DD rate number 163. She told me her story and to be frank, it's pretty long, complicated, and hard to follow. However when you think about it, the whole thing fits. Given what had happened, sir. She says she has important information that she needs to share with you." Mississippi stated.

"Alright, put her through." Shane said with a sigh.

"No problem sir" Mississippi said.

After a few seconds Mississippi's face disappeared and was replaced with Walker's, Shane recognized Walker immediately because on the desk was her bronze doughboy helmet. "Admiral Shane sir!" Walker belted out with a sharp salute.

Shane quickly returned the salute then said "As you were" he paused before continuing. "Walker, I thought you were captured during Operation Battle-Axe, yet here you are. So I got a question for you. How?" He asked.

"Sir, with all due respect, you might want to sit down for this. Because well it starts off like this" Walker said as she began to explain the events leading up to her and Hidoiame pulling into New Caledonia, battered but alive. When she was finished Admiral Shane let out a long slow whistle. "I will be damned Walker, you really have been through hell and back. However the information alone that we have survivors on Savo Island, is great to hear. As we are currently a bit on the strapped side for ship girls, I am going to have order the one Regular Navy Task Force that has been assigned to the USN Ship Girl Corps and tell them to go to Iron Bottom Sound and do a rescue mission. Its centered on the USS _Midway_ CV-41 she may be a bit on the old side, and may only be able to carry roughly 65 aircraft, but she can handle it. Particularly considering the fact that her task force has fought the Abyssals at least fifty times. But, the operation to liberate Wake Island, is going to be a real grind of a mission. I heard that there is a major Abyssal Air Base there and that a combined USAF, UNF, JASDF mission is going to kick off to wipe out as many Abyssal planes as they can. It's being led by the USAF. I think we are going to have use Special Forces on this." Shane said.

"Sir I agree." Walker said.

XXXX

A/N: Alright that took forever and a day to write it seemed, with college being the main reason as well as lack of inspiration. However, hoorah it's finished, just finally! Yes! Anyways next chapter Admiral Shane will brief Task Force Savior about their mission. Plus we will see, the rescue of those girls on Savo Island. Plus the lead up to the Assault on Wake Island.

As always keep an eye on your 180 and give them hell!


	6. Chapter V

A/N: Alright, now then we can begin to focus on the serious shit.

In case you're wondering, we will still see Walker in this fic even though she is in New Caledonia. Also expect to see a few briefing style sections in this chapter. Also, this is the last chapter with a nightmare section at the start.

XXXX

 _The crack of naval gunfire seemed to split the ocean as the ship girl fleets exchanged fire with the Abyssal fleets that were here at Iron Bottom Sound. The allied fighters were trying their best to keep the hordes of Abyssal Ground Attack Aircraft, Fighters, Heavy Bombers, Dive Bombers, and Torpedo Bombers off the ship girls yet there were so many. Near the coast of Tulagi three American Destroyer Girls steamed at flank, having been separated from the rest of their unit: DesRon47. They were currently racing to intercept a high-priority target that needed to be taken out. The target in question was a rare sight on the battlefield but if it wasn't neutralized quickly, it could bite any ship girl fleet in the ass no matter how powerful. A Cam-class Command Ship, these things weren't that well-armed but they had amazing intelligence gathering capability. They could then analyze the data they collected from there highly advanced Abyssal Sensors sift through the junk and then distribute the information that was needed to other Abyssal Units in the battlespace and often times do devastating counter attacks. This was an asset that needed to be destroyed ASAP._

" _Visual Contact with objective achieved! Let's smoke this bastard!" Called out Heermann DD rate number 532 called out._

" _It seems distracted! Let's ground pound this bastard!" Another destroyer girl, this one Hoel DD rate number 533 called out._

" _Roger that." The third and final destroyer girl Johnston DD rate number 557._

" _On my mark, engage this bastard. Hit with a ground pound. Hoel, Heermann tackle it, I will jump on its chest. Then fire roughly twenty 5in rounds into one of its eyes." Johnston said._

" _Roger!" Hoel and Heermann said in unison._

" _Ready, MARK!" Johnston barked. The three destroyers increased speed and charged the enemy ship. When they got to within thirty feet of it. Hoel and Heermann yelled "SURPRISE MOTHER FUCKER!" then leaped and tackled its legs sending it onto its back. Heermann thinking quickly grabbed one of the arms and pinned it as well. Hoel didn't think of doing that. Then Johnston jumped on its chest was about to fire her hand mount when she frowned._

" _FUCK! FUCK! GUN JUST FUCKING JAMMED!" Johnston roared in anger, as she hoped the gun team could get the gun unjammed quickly, before the enemy ship could throw them and then call reinforcements and escape, that_ _ **couldn't**_ _happen no matter what._

 _Hoel was struggling to keep it pinned, she didn't notice the hand that she should have pinned turning into a viciously sharp barbed appendage, until the thing stabbed her in the back and erupted out through her chest, it wasn't near the heart but Hoel let out a horrific cry of pain yet somehow Hoel although the pain was blinding she managed to strengthened her grip, yet she could feel herself fading rapidly. "FINALLY THE GUN JAM IS CLEARED! THIS IS FOR HOEL MOTHA FUCKER! DIE YOU BASTARD!" Johnston snarled then shoved gun mount practically into its left eye and fired it fifty times as fast as the gun could cycle, the thing flailed in pain then went still. As it began to sink she saw that Hoel was still being held onto by that barbed thing, thinking fast Johnston fired her gun four times into the arm and it shattered thus freeing Hoel, she promptly collapsed._

XXXX

Johnston a member of DesRon47 awoke with suddenly. Then sighed as she figured out she was still in the survival tent they had pitched here on the coast of Tulagi right on the beach. Heermann was still awake watching over Hoel during the night. The poor destroyer girl was in so much pain her left lung having been ripped wide open, and the ribs that covered that organ had been shattered into tiny fragments, there was also massive amounts of tissue damage, and it was miracle that Hoel was still alive to begin with. The wound she had taken; should of killed her, hell that sort of wound would have probably put even a _Yamato_ -class in the hospital and in need of an organ replacement.

"Gotta check on Heermann and Hoel." Johnston muttered as she got out of the cot. Johnston was a member of the _Fletcher_ -class of Destroyer. She had short brown hair with light brown eyes and stood around 5 feet tall. She was wearing simple Khaki utilities, she didn't have a hat, having lost it in the battle.

She walked to the tent that had been pitched across from hers, took a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to see. Then walked in. Inside the tent was Hoel and Heermann. They were sister ships, having been built next to each other. Heermann was sitting next Hoel, slowly stroking Hoel's black hair. Her chest was completely wrapped in gauze with a large dark spot on one side of her chest. "How is she doing?" Johnston asked fearing the answer.

"Not too well, she has taken a turn for the worse. I can only hope that her pain ends soon, or we get rescued. She won't last another week. I mean, we aren't too badly damaged but she is just fading on us slowly. I don't think I could do this anymore seeing my sister like this." Heermann said. Heermann also had black hair, and sparkling blue eyes. She was wearing NWUs.

"That bad, damn that's not good at all. Do you think it's safe to move her?" Johnston said already dreading the answer.

"No, I don't think it is safe to move her at all." Herrmann admitted.

"Damn" Johnston uttered.

XXXX

The ship girls of Task Force Savior walked into the 'war room' for a major briefing. Probably to go over what they were going to be facing in much greater detail. The various chit chat ended when Admiral Shane walked in. Enterprise quickly jumped to her feet and barked "Admiral on deck!" everyone thundered unevenly to attention. As Shane walked to the podium he said "As you were." Everyone sat down.

"Alright, first things first. Thanks to new information that has come to light, courtesy of a destroyer girl from DesRon29. We know two things. First we have survivors on Savo Island. Roughly ten ship girls, in response to this the USS _Midway_ has been ordered to go to Iron Bottom Sound and rescue them. I have also given them orders to look for survivors on Tulagi and Guadalcanal. Hopefully they will find more survivors. While that is great news, we have more pressing matters." Shane said pausing and sighing before going on to explain how they got this information. He then continued. "Through SR-71 flights we have confirmed that Wake Island is a combination Air Base/Naval Base/POW Camp. We also have reason to believe that Aquila Squadron is based at Wake Island as well. As such the USN is sending an aircraft carrier USS _Dwight D. Eisenhower_ and the Amphibious Combat Ship USS _America_ , the carrier whose air wing has been decimated will be taking on board four USN squadrons and the UNF's or United Nation Forces prestigious 118th Tactical Fighter Wing and 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron, which is composed of Mobius Squadron, Bone Arrow Squadron, Javelin Squadron, and a last minute edition to this unit Ridge Back Squadron. Bone Arrow Squadron go by the call sign: Arrow blade, Mobius Squadron goes by the call sign: Mobius, Javelin Squadron goes by call sign: Sting, Ridge Back Squadron goes by the call sign of: Ridge. Javelin is German, Ridge Back is Japanese, Mobius is American, and lastly Bone Arrow is multinational having been at first a privateer company under the same name. However they were approached with an offer to join the UNF's 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron after they managed to defend the city of Miami for three hard hours, after unknown aggressors came in, blew the taxi ways, hangers, control towers, and several of the runways for Homestead Airforce Base to hell, and then began to attack the city, they also managed to hit at the same, time Eglin and Cape Canaveral Airforce Bases, bombing the hell out of the runways and control towers. The Bone Arrows scrambled from Miami International they were their gearing up for a strike that had been authorized by the USAF on a rouge Russian Task Force, which the Russians agreed to on the basis that it was a non USAF job. The planes that attacked Miami were from that Task Group. The Bone Arrows is composed of four flights of six aircraft of various types, and one flight of four. That flight of four is the best the Bone Arrows have; that flight is going to help us out. That is our air support." Admiral Shane said.

"Sir, I thought that since we have the _America_ and the _Eisenhower_ we would also have helicopter support. Why are not getting any gunship support?" Dutch Harbor asked.

"The reason being Dutch is the simple fact that the _America_ is being equipped with a USMC Medical V-22B Ospreys however she will be carrying several Griffon 2000TD LCACs for express purpose of landing Special Forces to liberate the POW camp, and they will be armed with mainly M4 Carbines with the Beowulf modification, which allows the thing to fire .50 caliber rounds, plus SMAWs, SAWs, grenades basically the works. Best to go in prepared, besides with planes flying around plus ships firing Mavericks and Harpoons at the shore batteries, they are going to figure something is up. So while they are busy trying to deal with our ships and planes, you guys move in and engage the bulk of the Abyssal Fleet. While the SF people go in and start their own operation. Now then time for our objectives. Task Force Savior's objectives is to suppress the enemy fleet at anchor as well as destroy the runways for the Abyssal Air Base, and also for god sakes if you encounter an enemy command ship or AWACs please take it out. On a better note, it should be noted that Carrier girl _Coral Sea_ CV-43 will be assisting as well. I want destroyers running cover against enemy torpedoes and making torpedo attacks of your own as you see fit. Miami and Pasadena, you two have superb AA suites I want you two to screen the Carriers against enemy aircraft attack. However be ready for anything. As such I've ordered Coral Sea to put two of her interceptors to fly top cover for you guys, she is more than capable of defending herself. Carrier, you will be under the command of Enterprise, follow her orders, however the main objective for you three carrier girls, is the simple fact that I want you to focus on enemy shore batteries and enemy installations, these being communication hubs, tactical command posts, etc. Destroyers, you are going to be under Fubuki's direct command. Sverdlov and heavy cruisers and large cruiser you are going to be under the direct command of Dutch Harbor. Battleships you are going to be under command of Warspite. Oh and Surcouf." Admiral Shane said.

"Yes, Admiral?" Surcouf asked.

"Give the enemy hell!" Shane said simply.

"YES SIR!" Surcouf said giddy with those orders.

"Alright good to hear Surcouf. As for the rest of you, that is all I have at that moment. More information is to come. For right now I want you to focus on getting to work together, formulating battle plans. Also if shit hits the fan and the Abyssal begin jamming operations and we can't do ECCM Enterprise since you have seniority in terms of experience you will assume tactical command of the battlefield." Shane said.

"Yes sir!" Enterprise replied.

"Let's see, go over the objectives, give out general battle orders, what to do if we lose communications with you guys, I am I missing something? No not that I can think of." Shane muttered he then said in a much louder voice "Alright, Good Luck and dismissed!" he said.

XXXX

Meanwhile at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam the pilots of the Jolly Rodgers, Black Knights, Garudas, UNF's 118th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and UNF's 119th Tactical Fighter squadron shuffled into a briefing room. "I wonder what this is all about, we were supposed to be on leave." Ridgeback II call sign 'Edge' said.

"Hell if I know, but if this has anything to do as to why we are getting Carrier Aircraft for this mission then we better have a good reason for this." Bone Arrow II call sign 'Omega' said.

"Shut up pirate, this isn't your discussion." Ridgeback I call sign 'Slash' growled in anger at Omega's remark.

"Hey, the Bone Arrows _were_ a privateer company but after our solid defense of Miami against a rouge Russian Task Force, we joined the UNAF so we are just as good as you are." Omega shot back.

"Would you two please shut up? You can finish this discussion later, right now though we have a mission briefing to go through. Besides, how many missions have you done against the Abyssals?" Another pilot call sign 'Mobius One' snapped, it took a lot to get the normally calm pilot who rarely spoke to snap like that.

At that both Slash and Omega went silent knowing that if Mobius One had snapped at them, then it was going to be that kind of hard mission, however Omega decided to answer Mobius One's question. "The flight of fighters that I am in, have engaged the Abyssals in combat roughly around ten times, most of the time to save either a convoy or Carrier Strike Group. However we were involved in Operation: Skyfall; which was the Liberation of Manila from the Abyssals. That was a tough fight." Omega replied.

"My squadron have engaged the Abyssals around six times, mainly again to save convoy's from attack. However like the Bone Arrows here we did take part in Operation: Skyfall." Slash replied.

"Now that I think of it, Wardog has only engaged the Abyssals around eight times, however we are a feared squadron even among Abyssal Squadrons. Most notably for our defense of Naval District Midway Island. There we managed to stone wall an entire Abyssal Fast Battlegroup single handily." The number two man in Wardog Squadron Marcus 'Swordsman' Snow said.

"To tell you the truth the Garudas have engaged the Abyssals only three times, the first time was Operation: Skyfall, the second time was Operation: Poseidon which was the Operation to retake Hanoi from the Abyssal, and the third time was Operation: Countdown or Battle-Axe depending if you are in the regular navy or in the ship girl corps respectively." The leader of the Garudas which was often called 'Garuda' for short a man with the call sign of 'Tailsman'.

"I can tell you right now that both Jolly Rodgers and the Black Knights, have engaged the Abyssals numerous times. Most of the time it was when the carrier group we were assigned to was attacked by the Abyssal." The leader of the Jolly Rodgers said speaking for both his squadron and the Black Knights.

"Javelin Squadron has engaged the Abyssals only once, our first deployment was in Operation: Countdown that was a rough fight to be sure. Yet I am certainly excited for this op however I hope that we don't have to deal with hordes of Abyssal Mark VI Fighters, which is basically the Abyssal MIG-29 'Fulcrum'." Javelin Leader quipped.

"I certainly agree, however Mobius Squadron has engaged the Abyssal in Operation: Skyfall, Operation Poseidon, Operation Countdown, plus numerous other Operations." Mobius One said.

It was at that moment that A man with gaunt features a balding head and in a BDU walked in. Someone called out "Attention on deck!" the man simply said "At ease" with an unsynchronized thunder as all of the men and women in the room sat down. The man pressed a button and a mission briefing software system booted up. It showed an island, a bunch of red and orange targets. Plus several airborne units with blue and green circles around them. They were marked as Mobius, Javelin, Black Knights, Jolly Rodgers, Wardog, Garudas, Ridgebacks, and Bone Arrows. Each was a squadron contained anywhere from four fighters for Wardog Squadron, Ridgeback Squadron, and Bone Arrow Squadron, eight for Mobius and Javelin Squadrons, while the Black Knights, Garudas, and Jolly Rodgers had 12 planes each.

"Alright, time to start the briefing. We will be using our last two battle ready carriers to launch a massive pre-emptive strike on this Abyssal POW camp; that has been discovered by a survivor from Destroyer Squadron 29. Blackbird flights over this island have revealed that the Abyssals have heavily fortified this island. It has about sixty medium surface batteries, twenty heavy surface batteries, and seven super heavy surface batteries. Plus a multitude of various AA guns and even Abyssal SAMs. Also however we have discovered that this island is home to a large Abyssal Airbase. So expect heavy resistance from enemy planes. However, getting Air Superiority was the original objective; it has been changed drastically." The man said.

"In what way Good fellow?" Omega asked.

"Omega the mission has been changed from Air-to-Air to Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground. This is no longer a pre-emptive strike, but a mission to liberate this POW camp. We will have USN SEAL Team Six going is in for this liberation mission, it's that whole damn unit too. That is just from the United States, from the United Kingdom a pair of SAS teams are also going to take part, as well as UNF's famous 'Howling Commandos' are partaking as well. This POW camp the prisoners that compose its population are ship girls. It's high time, we busted them out of that joint. We will also be working in concert with Task Force 34.2.1 Call Sign 'Savior'. Task Force Savior will be a force of American, Russian, German, British, French, and Italian Ship girls. They will deal with the Abyssal Fleet Forces designated in the bay. Give them CAS if they ask for it. Another thing that should be noted, is that we are going to be deploying from an Aircraft Carrier, as such you are going to be given Carrier Borne Aircraft. Alright? Good dismissed!" Good Fellow said.

The pilots stood and slowly filed out of the briefing room. To go and man there planes.

XXXX

At the hanger were several dozen of the carrier based aircraft that the Bone Arrow Squadron had at their disposal. Thanks in large part to the Bone Arrows the UNAF's 119 Tactical Fighter Squadron was renowned for its multi-mission capability, as such all of the pilots that were in the Bone Arrows were carrier certified. Bone Arrow One call sign 'Viper' wouldn't be able to use his MIG-21-97 because it wasn't carrier certified so he went with another Russian Design, that had been bought some time ago but he had never used just because he loved the MIG-21-97. He went with the MIG-29K 'Fulcrum'.

Bone Arrow Two call sign 'Omega' mainly flew an EF-2000 Eurofighter Typhoon, and even though there is a Carrier launch capable version of the Typhoon, it wasn't Catapult launch capable. So Omega went with the Rafale M which apart for being a better fighter in terms of maneuverability was catapult launch capable.

Bone Arrow Three call sign 'Bronco' was a quiet type, he rarely spoke but only when he either got angry or if he saw something that his wingmen didn't. He usually flew an F-16F Fighting Falcon although the pilots who flew it called it the Viper because it bore a resemblance to the Colonial Viper from Battlestar Galactica. However with this carrier Op the plane that Bronco was going to be flying was going to be the F/A-22C Sea Raptor.

Bone Arrow Four call sign 'Reaper' was silent like Bronco, but he almost never talked. However he normally flew an F-15E Strike Eagle, however due to this being a Carrier based op Reaper was going to be using an F/A-22C Sea Raptor. The Sea Raptor was the newest Carrier based aircraft that the USN and UNAF had to offer.

XXXX

Four hours later the USS _Dwight D. Eisenhower_ left Pearl Harbor, Hawaii her flight decks clean of aircraft. The first squadron to land was VAQ-134 the Garudas, the next Squadron to land was VFA-103 the Jolly Rodgers, the next squadron to land was VFA-154 the Black Knights, the next squadron to land VFA-108 Wardog Squadron, the next to land was UNAF's 118th Tactical Fighter Squadron composed of Mobius Squadron and Javelin Squadron, then the UNAF's 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron landed, then two E-2 Hawkeye Carrier Borne Early Warning Aircraft from VAW-123 landed, and finally to top it off four SH-60 Sea Hawks from HSC-7 landed bringing the number of aircraft on board the _Eisenhower_ to 70. The USS _America_ on the other hand was carrying twelve MV-22B Ospreys, five CH-53K King Stallions, and three F-35B Lighting IIs. The reason the _America_ was equipped with F-35s on this mission was for self-defense capability purposes only.

XXXX

Meanwhile near Iron Bottom Sound was the USS _Midway_ CV-41 and her task group. Midway had four strike squadrons stationed aboard her, Carrier borne early warning aircraft times 2, and several Knighthawks. She was been sent out for a rescue mission, survivors had been found on Savo Island. However they were also going to search the surrounding islands for survivors. Captain James Jackson was in command, he had been given command of the _Midway_ about three months ago. He was around forty years old, stood around five feet five inches tall, had sandy blonde hair and grey eyes, he had a pair of thin rimmed glasses on, and a long scar that ran from his forehead to the bridge of his nose. He was wearing NWUs, and he couldn't wait for this war to be over.

"Alright, let's begin. Commence Air Combat Operations and SAR Operations, let's get this show rolling." Jackson ordered.

Soon the roar of jet engines spooling was incredible, then the first F/A-18E Super Hornet belonging to VFA-195 the 'Dam Busters' was catapulted into the air and quickly climbed. Others quickly followed, soon a grand total of twelve Super Hornets were in the air forming the CAP, an E-2 Hawkeye quickly followed. With another Squadron this one VF-142 the 'Ghostriders' was put on alert ready to scramble at a moment's notice, this squadron was flying the F-14F which had been known as the Super Tomcat 21. It was fast, nimble, and deadly, these things were a very dangerous fighter, considering it could carry in the Air Superiority role six AIM-120D AAMRAMs four slung under the fuselage and two under the engine nacelles, six AIM-9X Sidewinders two under each wing thanks to a twin rail under the wings and one at each wing tip, it also had an M61A2 20mm Vulcan Cannon, yet in the CAS support it was also capable of carrying a pretty respectable bomb load as well. Several SH-60 Knighthawks took off and began to head for Savo Island.

XXXX

Canberra sighed to herself she was trying to fish, although she hadn't gotten a single bite yet. She didn't hear the three Knighthawks approaching the small island; at first. After a minute of not hearing the helicopter she heard them, a distinct whooping noise that singled out as a sign of hope. She looked up and then did a double take, she couldn't believe it! Three MH-60S Knighthawks were rapidly approaching even though just one was needed, then one peeled off and went towards Tulagi and another peeled off and went towards Guadalcanal to look for other survivors most likely. "Heads up! We got helicopters inbound! There friendly!" she shouted.

All told the rescue operation for Savo at least only took about five minutes after the helicopter landed. For Guadalcanal it took roughly three hours and two midair refuelings in order to find a group of five survivors, for Tulagi, on the other hand only took an hour to do so. However the helicopter from Guadalcanal was able to find the Escort Carriers Guadalcanal, Ryuujou, and Zuuhio, as well as the Semi-Dreadnought Girl Settsu, and the Destroyer Jenkins. All told nearly twenty ship girls were rescued, in the first day of the rescue operation. Then trouble appeared on the third day, as the second day hadn't found anything.

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On board the USS _America_ nearly thirty Navy SEALs, fifteen Special Air Service Troops from the 22nd SAS Regiment these SAS troopers specialized in Maritime Operations, and ten troops from the UNF's Howling Commandos shuffled into a makeshift briefing room. The SF Operatives were making simple small talk, but they knew that this mission was important. Considering the fact that there were several EFVs in the bay where the landing craft were held. These things were known to be able to rip through even the most powerful Abyssal tank with just its 30mm Bushmaster Cannon using Depleted Uranium rounds.

Then the briefer walked in, he was a balding man in his late 60s from looks alone, he was wearing a standard Marine BDU. "Alright! Listen up, this is a real important mission! This mission which is going under the code name Operation: Bunker Shot. The objective for this mission is the liberation of an Abyssal POW camp that has been located at Wake Island. It should be noted that it is a combination Naval Base and Air Base as well, so expect heavy resistance from enemy troops as well as possible ship types, thus use of thermobaric rockets has been authorized just please be careful at what you aim with them. Make sure you sweep every building, we aren't leaving anyone behind, and I mean that. Any way we are going to be landing at this point, it's the only point that doesn't have any sort of defensive batteries near it and thanks to pictures from SR-71 flights appears to be part of the exterior wall for the POW Camp. This wall has been marked as a target, one of the planes which is part of the air cover, will come in and destroy this wall section. Dismissed!"

XXXX

"Captain we are within range, of the enemy base. We are also ready to commence battle operations." The XO of the _Eisenhower_ said.

"Alright then, let's give them a hard time. Let's commence Operation Bunker Shot. Are the ship girls ready to start the show?" The Captain of the _Eisenhower_ a man named Larry Simmons said.

"Yes Captain they are. They just got into position and are waiting for us to launch our planes. I think we should give the Abyssal a hard time." The XO replied.

"I second that, sound battle stations and get our planes in the air right now." Simmons said. The battle stations alarm then went off.

XXXX

Mobius One tightened the grip on the stick, they were just awaiting word from the AWACS to start the Operation. The day was January 25, 2019, four months since Operation: Battle-Axe/Countdown took place. The Abyssal war had started in 2015, and now it was time to end the Pacific Part of it once and for all. An all too familiar voice soon come over speakers. "This is the UN Affiliated AWACS Sky Eye, commence Operation Bunker Shot." Sky Eye said over the radio.

"This is Mobius One to all units. All units engage!" Mobius One said simply. He then advanced the throttles on his F/A-22C Raptor and rocketed toward the enemy airbase/navy base/POW Camp.

XXXX

Yuudachi was sitting outside, watching Pope and Destroyer Escort Dennis play a game of blackjack. At first she didn't hear anything, she was too busy watching the game, and then she heard it, a low rumble in distance like thunder from an oncoming thunderstorm. The noise quickly increased in pitch and decibels. Just before all hell broke loose the air raid siren went off. Then it happened, the sound of Abyssal planes warming up, the POW camp was under attack! The first set of eight Abyssal Mark VI fighters were beginning to take-off. There were at least ten more sets of eight Abyssal Mark VI fighters (MIG-29s) lined up on the taxiway, plus thirty-five sets of four Abyssal Mk V Fighters (MIG-21s), however at the end of this mess of enemy planes sat five Abyssal Mark VII Fighters (Su-37s) loaded to the neighs with missiles.

"Wardog One! Fox Two!" Wardog leader call sign 'Blaze' called out as an AIM-9X Block III Sidewinder rocketed away from his F/A-22C Raptor, the missile closed the six miles to its target in a matter of seconds, before slamming into it: the target was a Cam-class Command Ship. The missile slammed into its target the expanding rod warhead literally turning the thing into confetti and then tossing its body backward like a toy a bloody mess. Then all hell broke loose.

The planes of Wardog Squadron and the Black Knights in their F-14F Tomcats began to engage the enemy heavily using Small Diameter bombs, each one of these planes could carry twenty of the damn things. "Blackie Three! Pickle, Pickle!" Blackie Three who part of the Black Aces was called out as he punched the bomb release and dropped two small diameter bombs onto an enemy battleship blowing it apart.

"Mobius Four! Fox Two!" Mobius Four called out, as a Sidewinder roared away from his plane and impaled a watch tower blowing it to pieces. The attack had begun.

XXXX

The cheering began when muffled booms began to erupt in the bay, then the cheering grew louder as a robin egg blue F/A-22C Sea Raptor fired a missile and blew a watch tower apart. The Raptor quickly climbed then in quick succession downed two Abyssal Mark VI fighters, the missile he fired at each one blasting the planes apart.

XXXX

Bronco with giggling glee spoke which surprised everyone "Hey guys look! Some brand new Abyssal fighters all lined up in row, just begging to be bombed. It'd be a damned shame if something were to happen with them." As Bronco said that he dropped six small diameter bombs. Explosions buffeted his plane as pulled up and away, explosions ripping the flight line apart, as the enemy planes which were fully armed and fueled began to explode and chain reaction started as the planes began to explode and thus caused more planes to explode. "Some not so new Abyssal Fighters" Bronco said, earning uproarious laughter from all the pilots and even the ship girls. Even Sky Eye chuckled quite a bit, finding Bronco's move funny yet helpful.

XXXX

"Damn them! All AA Batteries and SAMs! Commence firing light up the sky with fire! Swat those pests out of the air!" The base commander roared.

 _Noob mistake sir. I am in a SEAD plane thanks for telling us were all your AA guns and SAM batteries are._ Tailsman thought. "Alright, everyone you getting RADAR hits? Lock them up, let's paste them. Garudas engage!" Tailsman barked. A dozen E/A-18 Growlers roared in locking up RADARs, soon the calls of "Magnum" for HARM missile launched was overwhelming. At least half of the enemy SAMs, went up into glorious fireballs. As did a small number of AA guns.

Meanwhile in the skies, the Bone Arrows, Ridgebacks, Javelin, and Jolly Rodgers were having a field day with enemy planes, and ships. "This is Savior II actual! We have a little bit of a Battleship Water Demon problem! A little help would be nice." Warspite called out, she was leading the battleship section (Savior II) into combat.

"This is Blackie six! I see the enemy, getting lock on for all the enemy ships. Lock-on achieved! See ya suckers!" She called out as she punched the bomb release for twelve Small Diameter Bombs against the four Battleship Water Demons that were blasting away at Warspite and her squadron. The bombs hit them and two exploded outright, one was left a wallowing mess, and another was tossed backward like a toy, flailing in pain, a quick salvo from Impero finished it off. "Thanks Blackie Six! We're advancing again!" Warspite barked in reply. "Anytime ma'am, anytime." Blackie Six said as she rolled her fighter into a tight turn and engaged a pair of enemy Mark Vs, easily dodging their missiles and following up with two missiles of her own, splashing both.

"Damn them! Almost our entire defense squadron was wiped out! How many of our planes are left?" The base commander yelled. "About eight sir! No kills yet" A Ri-class reported before she wiped off the map by Fairy flown aircraft which had finally arrived.

"Damn! Launch Aquila! Get them in the air!" The base commander snarled.

"He's mad, and in the meantime. Pay dirt I've located where that radio message came from. Damn that's going to be tricky but updating HUDs." Garuda Two call sign 'Shamrock' said.

"Whoooeee that is a dozy of shot to make. If we screw up we will have about sixty dead POWs. However we could go for the power generators. Also someone begin to work on those shore batteries." Swordsman said.

"Roger!" Javelin four said as he rolled his Tornado into a tight turn pitched around and then strafed a good number of enemy shore batteries, causing several to explode.

"Yahoooooo! This is an honest to god Turkey Shoot! Nothing more! Nothing less! I am already on my tenth ground kill and third Air kill!" Jolly Seven called out.

"Those shore batteries better be taken out we are on our approach now!" The commander of ground operations said.

"Most of the ground batteries have either been suppressed or neutralized. Go ahead with your part of the Operation!" Mobius One barked as he pulled up and away from his seventh air to air kill of the day.

Then the fairy flown dive bombers arrived from Enterprise and Striker then lined up their targets, several dozen Wo-class standard carriers, then dove. One of the fairy pilots called out "Ram it home girls! Ram it home!" Then the dive bombers began to release hell on target. Beginning to leave the carriers a trashed mess. "Scratch one flattop!" another fairy called out as an enemy carrier exploded. "Sweet Mary Ann! We've caught them cold!" Another fairy added as three bombs slammed into an enemy carrier and left it a burning mess.

The attacks continued, soon the enemy carriers were all trashed and sinking, then Sky Eye noticed something. "Heads up! Five enemy planes approaching the battle area in a flying wedge formation. It's the Yellow Squadron. Mobius One engage them and destroy them!" He ordered.

"Confirmed moving in to engage. All other squadrons continue operation. However if I call out Evac Winchester. Reaper engage Yellow Squadron while I go back to the boat to rearm and refuel." Mobius One said.

Reaper waggled his wings in response. While the other squadrons continued to engage the enemy. "We're almost to the wall! We need that door opened!" The ground forces CO barked over the radio.

"This is Swordsman, Fox Two!" Swordsman called out as an AIM-9X Sidewinder Block III roared toward the wall and blew it wide open. "Well then, nice work Swordsman! Alright boys and girls the front door is wide open and it would be damn rude not to go in! Once we get ashore, I want to begin sweeping Ops! I want ten members from SEAL team 6 to form a defensive perimeter. Everyone else focus on sweeping buildings! Let's roll!" the CO barked.

"Yes sir!" the SF Boys hollered.

XXXX

With a roar of engines the EFVs came thundering into the POW camp, instantly several dozen Abyssal HMGs opened fire on them, the rounds bouncing harmlessly off the armor. The EFVs opened fire with their 30mm Bushmaster cannons shredding the mounted machine gun positions within seconds. Then the troops came out and began to set up positions.

"Come on! Over here! We're here to take you home!" A SEAL called out.

Chaos promptly erupted over the com lines. "WHAT THE HELL!" An Abyssal trooper cried out. "WHAT THE ACTUAL FLYING FUCK DO YOU MEAN THE WALL HAS BEEN FUCKING BREACHED?" Another screamed. "SHIT! DEPLOY THE TANKS!" another screeched.

XXXX

"Shit here they come from the right! Five fire teams of eight! Caboose! Get your ass over here now and then use that great big gun of yours to mow them down!" A SEAL Sargent bellowed.

"Okay" Pvt. Caboose, Michael J. said, he was the heavy weapons man for SEAL Team Six, he wasn't that bright, but a lot of men compared him to Forrest Gump. A simple minded man, who was very good at what he did. Another thing a lot of men compared him to was, the Heavy from Team Fortress 2, because he carried around for primary weapon most of the time a M134D Minigun that he had modified with a handle to help him hold it, as well as adding a pistol grip from an M16 assault rifle. He also used for the damn thing 4,000 round drums which gave him a fairly decent time for firing before reloading. Yet today, he had three of those massive magazines, a SMAW and seven reloads for it, plus a M1911 and five magazines for that thing as well. He could carry all of that and barely would get exerted from it.

The distinctive sound of the Minigun spinning up filled the courtyard, the Abyssal fire teams didn't recognize the sound. Then what seemed like a literal laser beam of death roared forth, just hosing the Abyssal fire teams with .30 caliber special. In the span of thirty seconds all five fire teams of eight Abyssal troopers each had been wiped out, sent down under a hail of thirty caliber Minigun fire.

XXXX

As this was going on Fubuki was leading the destroyers in on a daring torpedo attack, this had to go perfectly otherwise the cruisers would wind up in the shit really, really, really, _really_ fast. The reason being was simple, a force of Abyssal Battlecruisers were gearing up to attack the cruiser force. They only had one Battlecruiser/Large Cruiser to face off against the dozen or so Abyssal Battlecruisers. The enemy also wasn't really paying attention to their surroundings, they were more focused on the dogfight between Mobius One and Aquila Squadron.

"Right, steady. Steady. Steady." Fubuki said warily as she led the destroyers to the enemy ships. She then let out half a breath then whispered "fire". At least 36 torpedoes entered the water and knifed toward their targets. The torpedoes impaled eight Battlecruisers, blowing each of them apart in thunderous alto of explosions. The problem was four enemy battlecruisers survived, and now they pivoted toward the ship girls, they all had some very crossed looks on their faces as if to say 'You will pay for interrupting the game'. "Uh-oh" Blach breathed.

Fubuki looked at the rest of the destroyers, alarmed. "Run" she growled out. With that one word the rest of the destroyers began to go at flank in a dead sprint back toward the cruisers and carriers.

That was Fubuki saw it out of the corner of her eye. A bright red black flash of light. "SHIT! THEY'VE OPENED FIRE!" Perkins cried. Fubuki instantly replied "I know! I know! I saw the gun blast! Everyone go evasive now!" she barked.

They were hugging the coast, near the POW camp, just as they passed a hole that had been created by a plane, although it appeared to Abyssal Mark VI the water exploded around them. Suddenly a pair of shells exploded right underneath Fubuki and wrecked her outfit and tossed her hard a shore. She was in a daze, and barely managed to say "Perkins you're in charge! Get the Destroyers out of here! GO!"

Fubuki's heart than sank when she heard a gravelly voice that was deep and commanding yet also threating say "My, my, what do we have here?"

XXXX

A/N: Finally! Yes this chapter is done! The Abyssal are in for it and they don't know it yet! Next time will be Mobius One vs. Aquila Squadron. Also seeing Omega aka King Bailout getting himself shot down; again. Plus we find out what sort of trouble Fubuki is in. Don't worry, remember how at the start how this story is going to be the adventure that Fubuki would never forget? Well it's about to start.

Also as always Keep an Eye on your 180 and give them hell!


	7. Chapter VI

A/N: I don't own anything save my OCs.

XXXX

Bone Arrow 2 call sign 'Omega' was feeling really good about himself. He was on his fifth air to air kill and third air to ground kill already. All of the planes had been outfitted with special pods that held up too four short range missiles or two AMRAAMs. Omega had gone with an Air Superiority load-out on his Rafale M that he was using. He was already in love with the plane. That was when Viper's voice crackled over the com line "Omega! Get out of there! Yellow Three is coming up on you quick! He overshot Mobius One doing Mach 2 plus and is trying to get turned around, he probably intends to blast you out of the sky as he does so!" He called out.

 _SHIT!_ Omega thought, he was certainly a good pilot. However Yellow Squadron and Mobius One well those guys were in a league of their own. Omega looked over his shoulder and spotted the bandit, sure enough it was really booking and closing in quick. He threw his plane into a hard right bank the Rafale's two Snecma M88-3D thrust-vectoring engines made his plane turn much tighter than he could in his Eurofighter Typhoon. He grunted with the effort, to his dismay the enemy Mark VII fighter, began to follow his turn and began to pull a much tighter turn, then his Rafale. "This Omega! I need a little help here! I have a member of Yellow Squadron locked on my ass and I can't shake him!" He cried into the radio, as he reversed his turn and popped flares and chaff.

"Hang in their King Bailout, I am coming to bail your sorry arse out." Viper said.

"You better get here quick Viper! This guy is just out-classing me I am not sure how much longer I can keep this guy from getting a missile lock!" Omega said grunting as he pitched his aircraft into a thunderous high-g over the top barrel-roll. The Abyssal fighter easily followed move, yet was still trying to gain lock on the franticly maneuvering Rafale M.

He pitched up, and then pulled his fighter into an Immelmann turn that was when his threat receiver went off. _FUCK!_ Omega thought "Viper! Better hurry up! The guy is tracking me on his targeting RADAR! It's only a matter of time before he blasts me out of the sky!" He screamed frantic as he released more chaff and flares.

"I am coming as fast as I can Omega! Just hang on!" Viper growled as he pushed his MIG-29K to knife edge of its safety envelope.

Then the RADAR Warning Receiver (RWR) went from a missile lock-on warning which was a constant beeping to the shrill screech of a missile launch warning. _OH FUCK MY LIFE!_ Omega thought as he looked over his shoulder to get eyes on the Abyssal Missile that was coming in _SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! FUCK ME!_ Omega thought in fear as he got eyes on the incoming missile, it was an Abyssal Mark V missile. The missile covered the four miles quickly, even though Omega punched flares and chaff and turned into the missile, the missile didn't care. It slammed into the back of the Rafale M near the exhausts. The resulting blast literally obliterated a roughly twenty foot long section of fighter. Sending it into a rapid tumble, alarms began screaming in the cockpit, the plane was coming apart.

"FUCK! I'AM HIT! I'AM HIT! I'AM HIT!" Omega cried as the fighter seemingly came apart around him.

"Omega! Bail! Bail! Bail! Get out of it! No way in hell you can save it! Omega bailout!" Wardog Two shouted in fear for Omega's safety.

"This Omega! I 'am ejecting!" Omega yelled as he grabbed the black and yellow striped handle aka the 'loud handle' the canopy blasted off and the seat's rocket motors promptly fired propelling Omega right out of the cockpit of the doomed Rafale M. After several moments of flight on the rockets there was a _bang_ and the drogue chute deployed and yanked Omega away from the seat. Moments after the Drogue Chute deployed the main opened.

"Godamnit Omega" Sky Eye grumped as he slowly face-palmed mainly because this was the second mission in a row that Omega had a Rafale M shot out from under his ass.

"Hey! I 'am sorry, last time it happened, I made the mistake of flying over a trio of Air Defense Princesses that I hadn't seen, they ripped my fighter apart with AA fire so fast I didn't get chance to react. This time I just got owned by something that was way better than me." Omega apologized.

"Try explaining that to the guys who are in charge of the budget. Rafale Ms aren't cheap. I know that the last time you got careless and this time you just got into a fight you couldn't win." Sky Eye said in sympathy.

"Wilco" Omega said dejectedly as what was left of his Rafale slammed into the water and exploded.

"COME BACK HERE AQUILA THREE SO I CAN GIVE YOU SOME HELL!" Viper roared as he went thundering over Omega's chute and got right on the six of Aquila Three.

Aquila Three tried to pull a Kubit turn, but Viper countered by throwing his MIG-29K into a low speed yo-yo thus being able to remain on the tail of Aquila Three. "Got a lock! FOX TWO!" Viper snarled as he squeezed the trigger, an A-11 'Archer' missile came screaming out of its pod and then slammed into the enemy fighter its warhead blasting the entire fighter apart, and sending it toward the sea in a disintegrating wreck instantly becoming if there was a pilot his/her tomb. "Got a Yellow" Sky Eye noted "Nice Job Viper"

"Not to mention it." Viper said breathing heavily as he went back to supporting the ground forces.

XXXX

Fubuki was in a daze having been tossed ashore, her outfit was a wreck and worse her ears were ringing like a thing no tomorrow as her ears stopped ringing and she could begin to hear properly again, she thought she heard herself giving an order to Perkins her second in command for the destroyer section. Fubuki's heart than sank into her stomach when she heard a gravelly voice that was deep and commanding yet also threating say "My, my, what do we have here?"

Fubuki looked around and almost fainted approaching her rifles raised was six Abyssal Shock Troopers. Their JRS 97 Rifles and lone JRS 95 LMG which were chambered in 8x67mm pointed menacingly at her chest. She became very aware of her surroundings, she could feel the beating of her heart, she could hear the sounds of the ground battle even though it was at least two miles away and four buildings over, her vision also became incredibly sharp, to the point where she could see the carriers standing in the mouth of the harbor to Wake Island and was able to distinguish their features.

"I asked you a question" the lead trooper snarled as it delivered a sharp kick to Fubuki's midsection making her instinctively curl into a ball. Yet Fubuki didn't know it, but Perkins had reported her position and a SEAL had manage to hear it over the sounds of battle and his own weapon. "That's how it's going to be, I guess." The trooper said with wicked grin; the thing pulled out a vicious combat knife that was 12in long and wicked sharp designed for both stabbing and slashing. Fubuki rolled as the thing brought the knife down toward her head. The knife got impaled into the abyssal concrete halfway to the hilt. Fubuki stared at it in horror, that thing had a metric ton of strength behind it. That meant the blade could easily be sunk to hilt in _her_. "I am going to ask one more time, what is your name, you piece of ship girl trash." It growled.

"Leave her alone!" A voice bellowed. The six troopers whirled. "Who the fuck are you?" The leader asked. The man who Fubuki figured out quickly was a SEAL then said in a very deep voice "My name is Michel J. Caboose and I hate Abyss!" he then charged and well, let's just what ensued would send this up to M rating. Caboose slowly walked away from six dead abyssal troopers, each one having some sort of really nasty injury.

Fubuki unknowingly whimpered in fright. The SEAL then crouched down and offered her his hand. "Get up, it's alright. I am not going to hurt you. I got a call from 2IC destroyer girl Perkins. From the way she sounded she was scared for your safety I am just happy I got here in time." Caboose said soothingly.

Fubuki took the hand got up then took Caboose in an embrace. "Thanks, f-f-for saving my life. I owe you one." Fubuki said stuttering.

That was when Caboose saw the air seemingly shimmer behind Fubuki, his eyes went wide as he figured out what it was "Fubuki, get behind me now!" Caboose commanded, Fubuki did so and was happy she did so. For an instant later a knife slashed down through the space that Fubuki had been occupying a moment before. With a grunt Caboose swung his Minigun like a club there was a thick, wet, and audible _crack_ and a stealth abyssal trooper materialized out of thin air and was sent flying into wall, it didn't get back up. Caboose then took a moment to examine his Minigun he then frowned. "Damn busted my Minigun, how did I do that?" Caboose muttered noting that somehow three barrels of the six-barreled weapon had been bent. It probably happened when he swung his weapon like a club.

Caboose thus dropped his Minigun and all the ammo that went with it. "Why did you do that Caboose?" Fubuki asked stunned. "Three of the barrels are bent. Don't know how I did it. Oh well, time to use an Abyssal Automatic Rifle, I think we call it a JRS 99 Rifle its chambered in same round as Abyssal LMGs, MMGs, Battle Rifles, and Designated Marksmen Rifles 8x67mm. However Caboose grinned when he found an Abyssal LMG, he grabbed that plus ten 300 round magazines and two 500 round magazines.

That was when a scream resounded through the small courtyard they were in, a ship girl tumbled out of a door way. Caboose and Fubuki sprinted over to the ship girl, "You alright?" Caboose asked.

"Yeah, I am Portland, I volunteered to help with the evacuation. Suddenly I heard my friend Yuudachi scream in panic and raw terror I ran as fast as could to her, and I see her being restrained by a pair of Abyssal Shock Troopers. I was about to fire my M6A2 SOPMOD at them when suddenly another trooper came out of nowhere and kicked me hard in the chest. It hurt more than anything. Next thing I know I 'am falling down a flight of stairs probably because I stumbled backward and just fell off them. But I am worried for Yuudachi's sake. They were dragging her down some hallway I have never seen before, and I have been here for nearly five months now." Portland said.

Fubuki and Caboose shared a look, and came to a silent agreement. "Portland do you think you can lead us, to where you last saw Yuudachi. Also please give Fubuki your M6A2 SOPMOD. Because the two of us are going on a little rescue mission. Plus her gun turret got trashed when several Abyssal 12.5in shells exploded under her." Caboose said.

Portland nodded, she gave Fubuki her M6A2 as well as six thirty round magazines and five 40mm grenades.

XXXX

Portland had showed them were she had encountered Yuudachi being restrained. She had then left, Caboose felt around the wall, then said "there is a hidden door here. Give me a second. I am going to rig it to blow." Fubuki gave him a look of 'what the heck do you mean by that?' Caboose pulled out several blocks of C4 plastic explosive and then carefully attached it to the wall. Then hooked up the detonator. He then gestured for Fubuki to walk back several feet and around a corner. He then click the com "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he yelled. Then clicked the detonator, and roaring, thunderous, _boom_ rocked the hallway. Then the CO of the SF boys said over the radio "Caboose what the fuck are you doing? I turn around for two minutes to help a medic get a destroyer girl stabilized and you run-off. You better have a _damned_ good reason for this." Caboose sighed then said. "It will all be in my after-action report sir." The SF CO then said "It better be."

"What was that about?" Fubuki asked as she and Caboose charged into a hallway and dusted two stunned Abyssal Shock Troopers. "It's just that my CO is a bit of an asshole sometimes, but he is a good man who knows what he is doing." Caboose said with a sigh.

"I see" Fubuki said as she Caboose continued to sprint down the secret hallway. Occasionally dusting a surprised as all hell Abyssal Trooper. However suddenly they came through a door and into a large room. It had a holographic display in the center showing how the battle was going in real time. Which it was going really badly for the Abyssal, they had been almost totally routed by the small ship girl fleet which had major air support. The only units that were left was literally a pair of Ke-class Recon Ships, which apart from a single 3in high angle gun was pretty much defenseless in terms of defending itself, a lone destroyer, and four fighters. At that moment the destroyer blew up in a brilliant fireball as a salvo from Kentucky literally blasted it back to the Jurassic period. Caboose whistled softly "damn, if this place is what I think it is. It's time for a little fun. Fubuki set your rifle to full-auto. When I give the signal open fire on those bastards below us." Caboose said in a whisper.

"What is the signal going to be?" Fubuki asked in a whisper.

"Trust me, you will know it when you see it, it won't be subtle either." Caboose said as he moved quickly and quietly pulling out his SMAW and loaded a SMAW-NE rocket, he waited till he got about 70 degrees on the circular catwalk away from Fubuki. He then aimed right at the center of floor, let out half a breath then fired. The rocket screamed through the air, hit and exploded. A tremendous blast that rocked the catwalk. Caboose then dropped the SMAW pulled out the AR and unleashed hell at anything that moved, soon after he opened fire he heard the distinctive sound of an M6A2 firing in full auto. Caboose primed three grenades and tossed them. Three loud _bangs_ ensued there was very little return fire from the enemy, most having been killed in the blast. Then he spotted a later and then went thundering down it, just as Fubuki went down another ladder.

"That, was exhilarating, but I don't want to do that again." Fubuki said, and Caboose nodded. However Caboose noticed something on the ground, he kneeled down and began to examine the floor. He figured that they were scuff marks, and they were fresh, roughly ten minutes old at most. "I think she was dragged this way. Deeper into the 'catacombs', I will be damned if we let the Abyssal do harm to Yuudachi." Caboose growled.

"I really hope the Abyssals don't hurt Yuudachi. Else they will have another thing coming." Fubuki agreed.

XXXX

Enterprise was listening to reports, apart from Omega being forced to bailout and Garuda Three being forced to return the boat after an Abyssal SAM exploded ten feet away from his plane and killed one engine and took six feet off the right wing the Operation had gone off without a hitch. Not to mention the Abyssal surface fleet and Submarine fleet in the area had been completely routed. The last time this had happened in the Abyssal War in the Pacific was during a frantic action near Manila where the Philippines Navy and Airforce along with a small force of ship girls managed to completely and utterly rout a force ten times their size. Considering the fact that the Philippine Navy had at that point only around fifteen ships left. However the Abyssals had gotten cocky and over confident, particularly after they practically destroyed the Philippine Navy in the Battle of the Luzon Strait. That had been three years ago

"I can't believe it. We were outnumbered at least eight to one in terms of ship girls alone maybe more. Plus we were outnumbered at least fifty to one in terms of planes. We managed to win, that fight was pretty easy actually." Striker admitted.

"Probably because they couldn't believe we would actually have the balls to attack them. Thus when it happened, the chain of command that they had broken down at the most fundamental level that was the on battlefield commanders. As a result they got their asses handed to them on a silver plate. However their planes put up a hell of a tough fight. Almost every single squadron I have suffered some sort of damage in terms of losses. One of my squadrons the 'Golden Eagles' was just butchered. Out of fourteen planes, only three came back, and each one of their planes was battered and shot to hell, the fairies didn't fare much better it will be a miracle if two of them ever fly again and I doubt that the third one _will_ ever be able to get himself (is it herself?) back into a cockpit again after seeing some many of his (her) friends killed. What happened was that the Abyssals just swarmed them. However it cost them a hell of a lot of planes, to put one squadron out of action." Enterprise said, going over how many fighters she had, at any one point she could have only up to 96 aircraft in the air at any one point. (Enterprise CV-6 during WWII was forced to have over 90 aircraft onboard her during the Battle of Santa Cruz due to the damage Hornet took during said battle) "At one point I had 96 fighters in the air on that fighter sweep. We all know how well that went when they ran into what seemed like a wall of enemy planes. However Striker thanks for sending in your fighters, I know that at most you can only have 32 planes in the air at most; still thanks for throwing eight squadrons of four into the fray. I think that is what managed to stop our fighters from being overwhelmed, that and the fact that Wardog Squadron jumped into that mess with no fear." She said.

"Yeah tell me about it." Striker said, suddenly a Robin Egg Blue Raptor screamed over head a pair of Abyssal Fighter Mark VIIs on its tail.

XXXX

Mobius One kicked his fighter into Afterburner and screamed toward Yellow Squadron as he did so he noted that he would most likely clash in a head on pass. He braced himself for the fight ahead. _Here we go_ he thought as he locked up one of the Yellows as they got within visual range he got a lock with an AIM-9X Block III missile he then fired the missile roared away from the pod. He checked how many missiles he had left and frowned, three Sidewinders and two AAMRAMs, plus a full load of gun ammo. The enemy squadron roared over his cockpit he pitched his fighter to the right to pursue. He saw one of the Yellows trailing smoke, which meant that Sidewinder had connected or at least had dealt major damage. Knowing he _had_ to make each missile count, he went to guns and went into a dive and fired a three second burst. The enemy plane shuddered before bleaching flames from its body and then exploding. "Splash One" Mobius One barked as he went into a tight roll.

His RWR became to scream a shrill alarm, he pitched toward the incoming missile and popped flares and chaff. The enemy missile took the bait and went into a cloud of chaff and exploded somewhere below him. That was when he heard a voice he hadn't expected but was glad to hear it. "This is Shamrock initialing ECCM for Mobius One." Shamrock called out. Mobius One smiled slightly as the seemingly constant lock-on alarm went off as the jamming hit the enemy targeting RADARs hard. _Now the fight can truly begin!_ Mobius thought as he slammed his Raptor into a hard half Kubit turn and dove two enemy planes screamed up to meet him. He locked one up with an AIM-120 "Fox Three! Fox Three!" he called out as the AAMRAM streaked away from the belly of his plane. The enemy couldn't react in time and was blotted from the sky. From the other plane a stream of tracers arced toward his plane, as the enemy plane began to go roaring over plane he sent the Raptor into a thundering snap roll, and began to climb out from his dive. Just then he caught a glint, which got his attention faster than you could say 'Battleship Water Demon', an enemy plane came streaking toward him doing Mach 2.5, thinking quickly he turned into the diving enemy plane; which caused it to overshoot. Without skipping a beat his threat receiver went off. He sent his plane into a Chandelle turn which got his nose directed toward the enemy plane that had acquired lock-on, he got a lock-on with a Sidewinder and fired, the AIM-9X closed the distance, about five seconds before impact the enemy plane tried to snap roll out of the way, the missile impacted and ripped the plane in half. He did a quick count he had bagged two but hadn't seen the plane that had tried diving on him in a while. "Sky Eye, how many 'Yellows' are left?" He asked.

"Two, you got two and Viper just bagged one that had bagged Omega who safely ejected. However they have both dropped from RADAR. We currently have our AGEIS ships lighting up sky at full power trying to find them. However they are probably flying at just below the RADAR deck for the AGEIS system and are bugging out." He said.

"DAMN!" Mobius One snarled.

"Exactly" Sky Eye said.

XXXX

Back with Caboose and Fubuki who were walking deeper and deeper into the enemy HQ. Fubuki noticed that Caboose was getting jumpy. He was constantly turning around and walking backward for a few steps to check six and he was glancing up toward the ceiling of the hallway that they were walking through. Fubuki was about to ask Caboose to chill when she heard him mutter "There are some damn catwalks spaced roughly 45 meters apart, this is an excellent place for an ambush, and with barely any cover an ambush here would be disastrous for us. It also doesn't help that spaced roughly every 450 meters apart is a door leading to who knows were, thankfully the signs of Yuudachi still being dragged down here are appearing, so were still on the right track."

Suddenly the fresh scuff marks they had been following took a ninety degree turn to the left. Right too were a door was, two hundred meters further down the hallway ended.

"What are we going to do about this door? It's locked, we going to breech it?" Fubuki asked.

"I might be able to splice the electronic door lock for this door hopefully with it opening for us. Here goes nothing." Caboose said as he began to hack the lock, about eight minutes later he barked "Prepare to breech! The damn thing has 512-bit encryption key on it that I can't hack. I doubt even our computer specialist could hack this thing. Alright so if that won't work, I guess we will just blast our way in. A lot noisier but we don't have a choice." Fubuki nodded.

Two minutes later with roughly ten ounces of C4 on the door, Caboose again keyed his mic and yelled "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" a tremendous explosion rocked the hallway followed by a terrific crashing sound, then without missing a beat Caboose yanked a grenade off his webbing and tossed it inside three seconds later it exploded. Fubuki and Caboose darted inside and were stunned with what they saw. The mangled remains of ten Abyssal Troopers the door being blast in had sent a storm of shrapnel screaming into the men as they had waited in ambush for them to breech the door, the follow up M67 fragmentation grenade hadn't helped matters. Whatever the breech hadn't killed the nade had.

That was when Fubuki began to look at the strange tables and then recoiled with her stomach churning when she saw that the Abyssals had either been experimenting on captured ship girls or had been executing them in horrible and painful ways. "Caboose I think I am going to be sick." Fubuki said shakily.

"Fubuki it's alright, I felt the same way when I saw death like that. We all feel like that, but trust me, I know you can find the courage to push on." Caboose said soothingly.

"Thanks Caboose, I think I can handle it." Fubuki said.

"Right then. Let's go find the murdering sonofabitch whose responsible and either take him prisoner so he can face legal justice or we can just kill him, depends if he is going to come quietly or not." Caboose growled.

After five minutes of walking down the room, they found Yuudachi. Battered but alive two dead abyssal troopers behind her, both showing injuries that were commonplace when some poor dumb bastard tried to engage a ship girl in CQC, Caboose noted with smugness for the stupidity of abyssal troopers at times.

"Yuudachi!" Fubuki cried she dropped the rifle she had been holding ran and grabbed Yuudachi in a hug. Yuudachi gasped slightly then saw it was Fubuki and gave a cry of relief and then took her friend in a deep embrace. Caboose smiled slightly it had been a long time since he had felt happy like this. Particularly after a friend of his a member of Army Delta by the name of Griffon 'Grif' Howard lost his sister during Operation Poseidon her name had been Katherine 'Sister' Howard who was a SEAL just like he was, she had been the first member of her family to join the Navy instead of the Army she had been assigned to SEAL Team One when she was selected for the SEALs. During Operation Poseidon two SEAL teams and two US Army Delta teams were deployed. The Seal Teams were 1 and 6 while the US Army Delta Teams deployed were Metal and Rattrap. Grif was a member of Rattrap. Caboose remembered what happened as clearly as if it was yesterday, even though it had happened two and half years ago now.

XXXX

 _Flashback_

 _Operation Poseidon_

 _August 12_ _th_ _, 2017_

 _A large coalition fleet was in the waters of the Gulf of Tokin near New Hanoi City, as the original Hanoi had been destroyed in a Nuclear Terrorist Attack in the year 2012. Thus New Hanoi had been before the Abyssal War a bustling Harbor City now it was barren and empty and home to a Seaport Princess which the combined American, Japanese, and Chinese Fleet had pounded the crap out of by using numerous ships and ship girl support. At this Fleet's core was the Japanese Helicopter Destroyer JDS_ Kaga _, the American Aircraft Carriers USS_ Kitty Hawk, _USS_ John C. Stennis, and _USS_ Midway, _and the Chinese Helicopter Carrier_ Minsk _and Aircraft Carrier_ Liaoning _. Aircraft of various types filled the sky. Ranging from fairy flown B7A2s to F-4U1c Corsairs, however all of the Fairy Flown Planes were either American or Japanese since the Chinese had fielded barely any ships during WWII. There was at least 120 Guided Missile Destroyers, nearly 250 Guided Missile Frigates, 40 Guided Missile Cruisers, 8 Amphibious Assault Ships, hundreds of jets ranging from the F/A-18E Super Hornet to the Chinese J-31 Carrier Based plane and everything in between. From the Amphibious Assault Ships dozens of Helicopters began to take-off. The helicopters that were taking off were Z-9Bs, Z-19s, OH-1s, UH-60Js, OH-58Fs, AH-1Js, and SH-60S were all taking off._

" _All right all units! This is it boys!" The CO of the Helicopter force said over the radio, at that moment a pilot in the American Section in a Knight Hawk got on the All-Hands Freq and said "Put on Psy War Op. Make it loud. A little bit of Romeo Foxtrot, shall we dance?" Then through an ELAD a very familiar and famous music piece began. It was Richard Wagner's Flight of Valkyries. The music just plain scared the shit out of the Abyssals. Then they had roughly five Airborne Regiments get dropped in their laps._

 _XXXX_

" _This is SEAL Team 6! We have the courtyard in sight! Starting our approach! Have that N.E.S.T Team on standby and ready to get here at a moment's notice!" The CO of SEAL Team 6 codenamed 'Church' said._

" _Roger that 6 actual, we will have them on deck in a MV-22B Osprey ready to go as soon as you find that Abyssal WMD and get it secured." The CO of the USS Tarawa said._

" _Confirmed for that, we are making our approach, insertion will begin in 30 seconds, booting up Cross-Coms." Church said._

" _Roger" Came the response._

 _Caboose sighed, he had a M4 Beowulf which was an M4 modified to fire .50 BMG which was a round usually used in M2 Heavy Machine Guns he had ten Beta Mags for the thing. He also had a laser designator plus a holographic sight. However this was his first time using Cross-Coms he had heard from Grif that it was amazing to use. He just activated it and feel in love with it instantly. The locations of all of the squad members on this mission was in one corner in another was the amount of ammo he had left in the clip and how many clips he had left._

 _Suddenly the pilot screamed "HANG ON TO SOMETHING!" He then pitched the Helicopter hard to one side and dropped flares. Caboose's eyes swept over the courtyard._ THERE! _In a window was an Abyssal Shock Trooper holding a MANPAD. "Enemy sighted! It's a shock trooper with a MANPAD! Engaging!" Caboose barked, he aimed through the sight and fired, the heavy boom and just as hefty recoil from the three round burst left everyone's ears ringing as the rifle belched a three-round burst. "Damnit missed!" Caboose muttered under his breath, he then adjusted aim and fired again. This time the red outline of the Abyssal Shock Trooper dropped, just as it did. There was a flash of light followed by the pilot yelling "FUCK! SAM LAUNCH! SAM LAUNCH! 9 o'clock low!" The helicopter jerked upward while deploying flares, then the helo juked right then left. The missile lost lock on SEAL Team 6's Helicopter and began to look for another target and found one a split second later. Caboose watched in horror as the missile the slammed into the tail rotor assembly blowing it and roughly half of the tail boom of the Knight Hawk right off. The Helicopter promptly went into flat spin. "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! THIS IS VICTOR 1-2 WE'VE BEEN HIT BY A SAM! WE'RE GOING DOWN! I REPEAT WE'RE GOING DO-" The mayday call was cut off sharply as the helicopter slammed into the ground inertia flipped it onto its side and flames began roil out of the sides of the downed Helicopter as the fuel leaked and caught fire. SF Operators began to scramble out of the ruined helicopter. One man scrambled back into the helo and appeared a few moments later dragging a wounded figure out from the helicopter._

" _Were in position! GO! GO! GO!" The pilot yelled and the SEALs of Team 6 fast roped out of the Knight Hawk. Once the last man hit the ground Caboose called out "CLEAR!"_

 _The helicopter pilot increased thrust and then began to fly back toward the coast._

" _Caboose get over here. Now" 'Church' said._

" _Sure thing boss, also how's Team One?" He said._

" _Seal Team One is barely combat capable. They had twelve members deployed here, four were killed on impact, one critical who isn't going to make it, plus two are comatose from that crash as well, and finally the last three members all are injured in some way as well. Not the best way to start the mission if you ask me. I am going to try and get reinforcements." He said._

 _XXXX_

' _Sister' knew she was screwed, a large chuck of shrapnel had gone screaming through her torso, doing massive damage. "Hey stay with us!" One of her squad mates called out, but it sounded so far away. "'Sister' stay with us, don't go to sleep!" The same squad mate said. "It's been a good long haul. However given how tough this war is, I knew it was only a matter of time before I got killed as well. Just tell my brother that I am sorry, and I will be watching him from above" She said weakly then everything went black._

" _GODAMNIT!" A SEAL who was part of SEAL Team 1 bellowed in anguish._

" _We just lost Sister, damnit. We're down seven people and this Op has barely started this is going to be a pain-in-the-ass to do now. Alright Team 6 move out, were going to have to solo this!" Church ordered taking overall command of the two SEAL teams. The moment that they lost Sister put Caboose on track to becoming the type of man who always would do everything in his power to make sure his comrades came back alive._

 _XXXX_

 _End Flashback_

Caboose pulled himself out of the past and looked at Fubuki and Yuudachi. "Alright you two let's get the hell out of here. Fubuki you can introduce me later." He ordered, yet for some reason Caboose couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were boring into his back. He shook the feeling off and made a note to ask the commander if he could bring a few men down here to look for a possible survivor.

XXXX

"Here we go guys, we are here at the assembly area." Caboose said as he led the two ship girls into the area where the POWs were being evaced. "Caboose! There you are! Damn fine work son!" The CO said.

"Thank you, sir!" Caboose said making sure not to snap to attention or salute for fear of snipers. "However, sir. I have a request." He said.

"Oh what is it?" The CO asked.

"The chamber where we found Yuudachi, had all of these tables each had either a dead dying ship girl in them. Plus I couldn't help shake the feeling that someone was watching me as I left with these two. With your permission I would like to take a few men down into those catacombs and do some more investigating. I am not leaving until we have gotten everyone out of here come hell or high water, or both, sir." Caboose said.

"Caboose consider it done. Pick two men and a medic from any of SF units that are here and then go bring them back. THAT IS AN ORDER!" The CO barked.

"Yes 'Church'! Consider it done!" Caboose barked.

"Also Caboose if you pull this off, I'll be fucking amazed." 'Church' said flashing a knowing grin.

XXXX

A/N: FINALLY! YES! YES! YES! YES! IT'S DONE THIS LATEST CHAPTER!

In case you are wondering why this wasn't posted I came down with a cough during the week so I wasn't able to do any writing.

Also the story is approaching the end. Plus we got to see a bit of the Navy SEAL known as Caboose. As well as why he is so caring for everyone.

Also for those Red vs. Blue fans can you catch the reference to an episode in Season V of RvB?

Lastly keep an eye on your 180 and give them hell! 


	8. Chapter VII

A/N: I don't own anything save my OCs.

XXXX

Caboose knew what medic he had to pick. It took him a moment to find him but finally he found the medic. He was in the Howling Commandos his name was Jefferson O'Malley although everyone just called him O'Malley or Doc at times. The guy was scary to fight, he scared even the crap out of Caboose mainly because his main weapon was a Beretta ARX 160 Modular Rifle with a heavy barrel that meant he could fire the much heavier 7.62x51mm NATO rounds that everyone was beginning to use, due to the fact that the 5.56x41mm NATO round and the 5.45x39mm round that a good number of small caliber weapons used were ineffective, however heavier rounds of the 6.8x43mm SPC round and larger worked, plus he had a 40mm Grenade Launcher slung underneath the barrel.

"Hey Doc!" Caboose called out.

"Holy cow! Caboose is that you?! Long time no see, we have some serious catching up to do." Doc said greeting the approaching SEAL.

"Yeah, we can do that later Doc, right now you're the man I am looking for. You up for a SAR mission?" Caboose asked.

"I thought you would never ask! I'll go get my rocket launcher!" Doc said.

"WAIT! WHAT?! Are you kidding me? It takes you like 5 and half minutes to run a mile yet you can lift that monster you call a Rocket Launcher?!" Caboose said totally shocked that Doc was going to get that.

The Rocket Launcher that Doc was going to get was a Chinese made PF-120 multi-use Rocket Launcher, it had one tube, but each 'clip' held three 120mm rockets these things were beyond scary. It didn't help that even the Multi-purpose round could kill tanks. The HEAT round just decimated tanks, also Doc was something of an artist with the damned thing.

"Doc meet me by the EFV called 'Iron Man'!" Caboose called after Doc.

"OK" He called back.

Caboose sighed, this is why he picked Doc, he was an excellent medic but he was a hell of a Heavy Weapons Guy as well. Still, he could be counted on when shit hit the fan. Now Caboose began to search for two other troopers to help him.

"Caboose! Hey wait up!" A voice called out from behind Caboose, he spun around and blinked. Running up to him, dressed in a combat uniform was the Cruiser Girl Portland, besides wearing a BDU she also was carrying an Mk 17 CQC SCAR-H and in her pistol belt was a FN Five-Seven. She had on her back a XM25 CDTE aka the 'Punisher'.

"Portland, I thought you evaced to the _America_ , yet why are you here?" Caboose asked, wondering why Portland was here, and not on the _America_ getting medical attention.

"Caboose, when I heard about what you discovered, I practically begged for the doctor to let me go on a ground combat op, just this once. She said I could, if I was careful and wore full body armor." Portland explained.

"Okay, I understand that. Thanks Portland you can come along just be careful. The other person in our squad is Corpsman/EOD O'Malley, he will be easy to spot due to the fact he will have a PF-120 Rocket Launcher strapped to his back." Caboose said explaining who else was going to be in this little rescue mission.

"Oh dear god! That maniac?! I am surprised that guy hasn't wound up in the JSF yet! He is crazy! Not in a good way either!" Portland exclaimed, having heard of O'Malley's exploits as well.

"Yeah, I know he's crazy but he is a damn good medic trust me he is." Caboose said.

"Alright, where do we meet?" Portland asked, racking the bolt on her rifle.

"Over by the EFV called 'Iron Man' that's where we are going to meet." Caboose said gesturing the EFV in question.

"Thanks, I'll see you there!" Portland said and she trotted off toward the EFV in question.

Caboose continued to enjoy his brief walk, he also had been given a new weapon to replace the Abyssal LMG he had commandeered. He had been given a M4 chambered in .450 Marlin it was a dammed good rifle, too bad it couldn't use an underslung grenade launcher. That was when he heard the distinctive sound of boot stepping on gravel right behind him. He instinctively whirled dropping his rifle and his hand going for his combat knife and thrust fast up towards the unknown's face. Mere inches from the unknown's face a hand grabbed his wrist and stopped his hand cold. "Jumpy?" A female voice asked sounding amused said.

"Yeah, of course I am. Were in a POW camp that we have reasonably managed to secure and I have an annoying close quarter's combat expert sneak up on me." Caboose snarked at the woman.

"Please Caboose, don't give me that crap. Church told me you were going on rescue mission and I want to tag along." She said.

"Alright fine Tex! You can come along, besides you have a pretty nifty weapon if I do say so myself." Caboose said wistfully looking at Tex's weapon. It was called the AR-57, which was a modification of M16, by changing the upper receiver while keeping the lower receiver of the M16, like the P90 it used a 50 round magazine as its standard, plus just like the P90 the spent brass was ejected downward so that way it was easier to use. It also had a 40mm underslung grenade launcher.

"Thanks Caboose, I see that you asked for your big girl, because to be frank the M4 Carbine with the .450 Marlin modification scares me, if you ask me whatever you sight and your using that weapon when you pull the trigger it's an essentially pushing the delete button. Because when you fire a round that big at the rate of fire that the M4 Marlin is capable of, well I feel sorry for the guys on the receiving end, just a tad though." Tex said.

"True, come on follow me. I already found two others who are going to be accompanying us." Caboose said, beginning to walk to the EFV named 'Iron Man'.

"Oh who are they?" Tex asked, she was a captain however she had been told by Church that Caboose was going to be in overall command.

"Our medic is going to be O'Malley, while our other rifleman is going to be the light cruiser girl Portland, which I know is bizarre but given how ferocious the fighting has been on the ocean's compared to on land, it's like comparing the Second Gulf War to World War I. Save for us, on land it's the Second Gulf War while on the sea's it's pretty much First World War out there." Caboose said explaining.

XXXX

Five minutes later Caboose and Tex walked up to the EFV 'Iron Man' where Portland and O'Malley were waiting, going through final equipment checks. Somehow Portland managed to finish checking her SCAR-H before O'Malley could finish checking his ARX 160 Battle Rifle. "I am ready to go boss!" Portland said as soon as she finished her equipment check and slammed home a magazine and the racked the bolt.

"Same here!" O'Malley called out as he too slammed a magazine home after checking to see if it was clear as well as the receiver and barrel. He then racked the bolt back and then fished out of his satchel a 40mm grenade and inserted that into the grenade launcher he had slung underneath the barrel.

"I've been ready to go." Tex said cheekily with a hint of a grin.

"Same here. I am assuming you ready to get ready with the Cross-Coms?" Caboose asked referring to the system that everyone was given the version 2.0 which was now standard issue for SF forces while the regular infantry got version 1.0 stuff.

"Yeah, boss we are." Portland said as she booted hers up as did O'Malley, Tex, and himself.

"Right then. Let's move, come on!" Caboose ordered and the four soldiers moved out. Unknowingly heading to a rendezvous with destiny one that would change them all drastically.

XXXX

"When will we get their?" Portland asked as the group began to go through the remains of the enemy war room.

"About another twenty minutes if we continue at this pace." Caboose said doing a quick calculation in his head.

"Good to hear, anyway. It's great to see all of the POWs some of which have been here for years are now free. However I am deeply worried for some like Katori. I mean the pounding she took from that Ru-class was nasty, it's amazing she's still alive." Portland said with disdain toward the Abyssals.

"You got that right, I mean keeping someone as badly injured as Katori was and not giving her any medical attention for three years?! That's just pure evil." Caboose said in reply to that.

Just as the door opened they noticed trouble "Uh? How do I close this door?" Portland asked as she looked down the hallway at seemingly a whole regiment of Abyssal Shock troopers. Several of the Abyssal Shock Troopers growled and raised their weapons.

XXXX

The thunderous roar of an Abyssal Automatic rifle followed by a stream of green tracers chased the four back to the center of the room where they hid behind the large holographic projection table. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Caboose yelled in dismay as he returned fire. "They're blocking our way to those POWs!" Portland snarled. "Oh come on!" Caboose shot back as he returned fire. "O'Malley! Rocket Launcher NOW!" Caboose bellowed. "With pleasure! Anti-Infantry Rocket loaded!" O'Malley replied giving a maniacal chuckle. "Fly you fools!" O'Malley said as he fired a rocket. A tremendous explosion followed by a bright orange flash and the feeling of being roasted and crushed at the same time came over the four troopers.

After the blast died away, most of the enemy infantry had been wiped out with the survivors to cripple to move at all. That rocket had obviously been equipped with a thermobaric warhead, which had ripped the relatively bunched up regiment apart it was quite the mess.

"Okay, word of advice O'Malley. Next time we are in an enclosed space please don't use a thermobaric rocket! I don't want to go through that again!" Tex snapped, and she had a point too, it was a miracle they hadn't been killed.

"Truth" Portland said panting that blast having taken something out of her.

"Oh crap! Here comes more trouble!" O'Malley shouted as his HUD in his cross-coms lit up like the Las Vegas Strip at night, down that same damn hallway where that regiment came from. He raised his rifle and cut lose with a full auto spray. Tex and Portland quickly did the same. Caboose switched to three round burst mode and began looking for red aura elite troopers who were as far as Caboose could tell, those were the officers. When he saw one he lined up its head and pulled the trigger. The result was devastating on the enemy trooper, the rounds caught the thing in the neck, the thing jerked backward and its head seemingly blew up in a black mist with bone that had shattered going flying backwards and upward. It collapsed limply twitching as it did so.

"Oh my god there's like a million of them!" Portland remarked sarcastically as she reloaded. "No Shit Sherlock! HE-Frag Rocket loaded! BYE-BYE!" O'Malley shot back as he depressed the firing stud on his rocket launcher, a rocket screamed toward what seemed like a _sea_ of enemies. The rocket hit an enemy trooper and sent roughly a dozen flying in all directions, yet they still kept coming although the sheer amount of fire going in was wearing them down, the numbers weren't going down quick enough. "SHIT! Everyone use your nades!" Caboose yelled as he grabbed a pair of M67 Frag grenades off his webbing, pulled the pins and tossed them. Soon grenades were popping through the entirety of the enemy formation. "Guys! I am running low on clips, and I came with a full combat load." O'Malley said as he hit the clip release and let the spent clip fall and he fished another clip out of his webbing and rammed it home then racked the bolt, then began firing at the hip again.

 _This isn't going well! We need to be able to break this seemingly endless wall of infantry, right now hitting them with just a full auto spray isn't working._ Caboose thought as he killed yet another elite with a three round burst to its head. "Wait a sec! That's it!" Caboose muttered, then said in a much louder voice over the team freq "Guys use your 40mm grenades! Thermobaric if possible! O'Malley look for a gap that's big enough for you to send a 120mm Thermobaric rocket right down into the middle of their formation!" He ordered. Tex, O'Malley, and Portland groaned in unison. "Look people! I know that you don't like it! However it's our only chance for survival against this seemingly endless wave of Abyssal Infantry!" Caboose bellowed.

Portland reacted first slinging her assault rifle and unlimbering her Grenade Launcher she took the safety off and aimed slightly above the oncoming infantry. Then emptied her extended clip of ten rounds into the horde, explosions bloomed to life above the mass of infantry as 25mm HEAB grenades exploded above the mass infantry, shrapnel scythed through the enemy infantry, killing and wounding who knows how many. A pair of 40mm grenades went into the mass of enemy troops and exploded, a pair of thunderous explosions followed by searing heat and pressure slammed into the four troopers, ripping the enemy apart. Moments later _ten_ more such explosions ripped into the enemy formation as Portland emptied a 10 round clip from her grenade launcher. The blasts had completely annihilated roughly 75% of the enemy troops that were coming at them. "You might want to cover your ears this thing is really loud!" O'Malley boomed jokingly, a split second later he fired. The 120mm Thermobaric Rocket screamed into the disintegrating enemy ranks then hit the leg of some poor bastard and exploded. Yet _another_ thunderous explosion followed by a crushing shockwave and roasting heat blast rolled over them. That blast killed about 23% of the remaining enemy forces and crippled the rest to the point where they couldn't fight anymore.

"Alright! Clear!" Caboose barked, as he took a glance down the hallway where all of that trouble came from. "Ammo check!" Caboose ordered.

"I am down to four clips, I knew I should have grabbed some beta mags." O'Malley said after a brief glance at the amount of magazines he had left.

"I am down to roughly five and half clips. Still have almost a full loadout of grenades for the XM25 though, however I brought sixteen clips, five HEAB, five Thermobaric, five HE-frag, and one door breeching. I used one HEAB and one Thermobaric, so I am still good on grenades for my XM25." Portland said breathing heavily.

"I am down to two clips and five rounds of ammo. That gives me 105 rounds of ammunition but if we get into another protracted fire fight, I will be in a real bind for ammo." Tex said, glancing at her ammo amount for her primary.

"I am down to roughly five twenty round box mags. Damn we burned through a lot of ammunition. However I think it was needed." Caboose said.

"Amen" Portland agreed.

"Too true" O'Malley quipped.

"Yeah" Tex said.

"Hey, Church we just had a massive firefight against what seemed like an entire legion of Abyssal Shock Troopers, we managed to wipe them out, but we need someone to come down here, with a bunch of 7.62x51mm NATO rounds, .450 Marlin, and 5.7x28mm. That way we can continue with our mission." Caboose said into the mic.

"Roger that, Caboose. What did you run into down their?" Church asked.

"We ran into probably a regiment, and then a few moments later probably an entire legion all shock troopers too. Got to praise the lord for enclosed spaces and Thermobarics we couldn't have won without them. Not to mention a constant stream of fire from several rifles blazing away, sending streams of lead down range, at rates of 550 rounds per minute, 625 rounds per minute, 700 rounds per minute, and lastly 900 rounds per minute. Still, we need ammo, because we get into a fire fight we are boned, because we only have a couple of clips enough for probably two minutes of firing." Caboose explained.

"Okay! You guys will have ammo down their ASAP, trust me on this." Church said.

What Church had said was true, soon a small mule lumbered into command room. Filled to the neighs with ammo and grenades. The small team fully stocked up on ammo. "Alright let's move on." Caboose ordered, with that the small four man team moved out.

XXXX

Meanwhile on board the USS _America_ , Fubuki was enjoying some quality time with Yuudachi, who was currently getting some shrapnel removed from her right leg. "Yuudachi?" Fubuki asked.

"Poi?" Yuudachi said.

"How did you're engagement go against those Battleship Symbiotic Himes, Light Cruiser Demons, and Destroyer Princesses?" Fubuki asked nervously.

"I will tell you, Fubuki, Poi. But, first what happened to Mutsuki, Naka, and Sendai, Poi? I thought they would be here Poi." Yuudachi said.

Fubuki for her part felt her heart clench tight. She wanted to tell her friend that they weren't in pain, which while it was true. It wasn't the full truth. She gave a heavy sigh before speaking.

"They're gone, after the battle we fell victim to friendly fire. A Squadron of TBF/TBM Avengers probably from Franklin mistook us for enemy ships. By the time they realized their mistake they had already dropped their torpedoes. Plus with the shape we were in, there was no way in hell we would have been able to dodge those torpedoes. It didn't help that there was fifteen of those planes and thus fifteen torpedoes. Naka caught one torpedo, the explosion sent a plume of water twenty five feet into the air and totally destroyed her engines. Mutsuki was lucky, she caught three torpedoes and just seemed to disappear, their one moment and gone the next, at least her end was quick. Sendai wasn't so fortunate, she caught two torpedoes, which destroyed her engines and ripped open her boiler rooms to the sea on her outfit. She sank about ten minutes after she was hit. I caught one torpedo, and for a sickening moment, I thought it had broken my keel. Turns out, it didn't but it was a miracle that I was still afloat, however I barely could make steerage way. I had some combat capability left, mainly one torpedo launcher. Naka ordered me to scuttle her, I launched my fish and watched them go all the way in. I couldn't bear to watch them hit, so I looked away at the last moment. When the explosions had ceased, Naka was gone. I drifted barely able to maintain steerage for four days and three nights. Around 3 in the afternoon on the Fourth day I was found and rescued by a ShinMaywa US-3 Flying Boat operating out of Truk. As you know the US-3 is basically H8K2 Flying Boat which means impressive range, while maintaining protection and functionality. Right after they pulled me in, I passed out. Next thing I know I am waking up in the hospital at Truk Island. I did see Yamato and Musashi briefly but they were sent to mainland Japan for what essentially from what Shinano told me was a complete rebuild. It was during that time that Shinano told me, that I had been out for most of December and that a memorial had been built at Naval District Pearl Harbor." Fubuki said explaining what had happened to her directly after the battle and what had befallen Torpedo Squadron Three, as well as her ordeal afterward.

"So you're telling me, Poi. That you and I are the only members of Torpedo Squadron Three who are still alive, Poi?" Yuudachi asked stunned.

"Yes, our friends are gone, so many of them. We lost so many ships during that battle. The list of who's dead, who's missing, and who's wounded it keeps changing. I am starting to wonder has fate played some sort of cruel trick on us." Fubuki said starting to sob.

"You know, I personally don't believe that's what happened." The medic who was treating Yuudachi said.

"What do you mean?" Fubuki and Yuudachi asked together.

"If you ask me. Fate hasn't played some cruel trick on you. Sometimes shit happens, what happened after the battle was an unfortunate accident. Given that those Avengers were actually from Saratoga, who was killed in the battle in Iron Bottom Sound, those pilots were still pretty mad over the loss of their carrier. So when they spotted you, and they automatically assumed you were the enemy. This war has touched all of us, from the first major ship girl loss in the Pacific Ocean to the first major ship girl loss in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. This is just another step on your path to destiny if you ask me. Its events like these that shape you and make you who you are. So mourn those you have lost, but cherish the memories you have of them and take joy in the fact that you have friends who are still alive." The medic a man named Jonathan said.

"Still, that won't bring them back. They gone forever, we will never see them again." Fubuki laminated.

"No they aren't, remember how before the Operation began how we all took pictures of both forces that were going to attack that HQ? Well, we did that, knowing that a lot of you probably wouldn't be coming back from that op alive. I will try and get you a copy of the picture in question for the Japanese Ship Girls who took part in the battle." Jonathan said.

"Thanks, I wonder how the rest of the Op is going. I mean, I hear that the JMSDF got reorganized back into a proper navy, to help defend the home islands. I mean I wonder what's happening now, across the Pacific." Fubuki said.

"Probably, mopping up the enemy now, poi." Yuudachi said with relief knowing that their war was over and while that was true, it meant they could finally have time to properly mourn those who they had lost.

"That's what I heard. I also heard that USS _Enterprise_ CVN-80 succeeded in completely pasting an Abyssal Stronghold in the Marshall Islands, I think it was located on Wotje Island, happened about a month after Operation: Countdown." Jonathan said.

"I remember hearing about that, just plain incredible, that would probably be the first time that regular forces managed to destroy three Seaport Princesses, two Airfield Princesses, plus destroying an Abyssal Airbase, and razing an Abyssal Naval Base as well. Not to mention destroying god only knows how many ships and planes." Fubuki said.

"Too true, poi!" Yuudachi said, then winced as Jonathan pulled a sliver of abyssal battle plate out of her.

"So, Yuudachi. How did you diversionary action to allow the Third Torpedo Squadron escape go? It's alright if you don't want to tell us." Fubuki said.

"I will tell you when Jonathan is done with my leg, poi" Yuudachi replied.

XXXX

They had almost gotten to their objective when they had ran into yet another force of enemy shock troopers and another firefight had broken out. This time the group was small, around ten guys, yet the rounds were really flying.

"I have to admit," Portland said as she ducked behind an alcove she was for cover to avoid a burst before coming back out and firing short controlled bursts "These guys can't shoot worth shit." As she said that one of her bursts caught an Abyssal trooper in the chest and it collapsed without a sound dead. "Tango down" Portland said as she switched targets.

"This is a hell of a lot easier than the first firefight we had!" Tex said as she fired a burst of ten rounds and caused an Abyssal trooper to collapse most of its head missing. "One Tango EKIA." She said.

"I hear ya! This is too easy!" Doc said as he fired his Assault Rifle in a three round burst that caught the commander in of the squad in the head and flung it to the ground, most of its skull missing.

"Alright, then that's the last of them." Caboose said, as the last enemy trooper fell limply to the ground dead. "Let's go, were nearly there."

XXXX

The door that Caboose and Fubuki had breached earlier was still a gaping hole. "Holy shit!" Portland breathed. The survivors were out of their tables and being held closely by Abyssal Shock Troopers who were holding pistols to their heads. There was roughly two dozen of them. The message was clear 'Take another step closer and they die, shoot at us and they die, do anything funny and they die.'

"Any ideas on how to defuse this?" Doc asked, aiming his rifle at an Abyssal Shock Trooper who was holding its pistol to the neck of a terrified looking destroyer girl, her electric blue eyes were wide in terror.

"I have no idea!" Tex snapped as she aimed her rifle at an Abyssal Shock Trooper Elite who was holding its pistol to the head of a submarine girl who had stunning purple eyes and long red hair. She was quaking and worse what made Tex's stomach clench was the fact that her right arm was gone below the elbow, the way she was holding it Tex could tell she was suffering from phantom pains.

"Damnit! If this space was a bit more enclosed, a stun grenade might work, to help get the enemy disoriented, but I don't think that's possible in this space." Caboose snarled as he aimed his rifle at the head of an Abyssal Shock Trooper who was holding a Battleship girl close to itself, pressing a combat pistol against her temple, the girl in question had short brown hair and jade colored eyes.

"I wish we could do something!" Portland growled, holding her aim steady at an Abyssal Shock Trooper who was holding what appeared to be a Heavy Cruiser girl close to itself. However something stuck out about this particular Heavy Cruiser girl, she looked almost _exactly_ like Portland! Portland couldn't believe her eyes, it was her _sister ship_ Indianapolis! Portland had to resist the urge to do something rash. However Indianapolis was looking at Portland with pleading eyes, she was terrified and Portland couldn't do a thing about it!

"Tell me about it!" Doc barked, keeping his aim steady, his finger not quite on the trigger but near it.

"Uh, Church. We have a bit of problem down here." Caboose said into the radio, Raising Lt. Church on the radio.

"What is it Caboose?" Church asked.

"Sir, please just tap into my Cross-Coms and you will see the problem. It's quite a big one." Caboose said keeping his aim straight.

"Oh damn! That is a major problem, if you could set off a flashbang grenade, preferably more than one at the same time. You might be able to nail all of the tangos." Church recommended, however he was also stunned that the enemy could setup a trap like this.

"Alright, roger that Church we will give that a try." Caboose said. There was a brief burst of static as Caboose changed to the team freq yet Church was still able to hear the orders that Caboose was giving over the Command Freq.

"Alright! Here's the plan. Tex, Doc on my signal throw a Flashbang grenade and I will do the same, when those nades go off, engage the enemy. Make sure you monocle is tinted as dark as it can go and that you noise cancelling headphones are on as well. On my signal." Caboose ordered. "Ready? NOW!" Caboose roared, there was three sharp bangs over the radio, followed by the chatter of automatic weapons firing and the deep bangs of Abyssal pistols discharging. There was another sharp bang as another flashbang grenade went off, followed quickly by more weapons fire suddenly the thunderous roar of an Abyssal Hand Grenade exploding came in over the freq. Followed by more automatic weapons fire and deep bangs. Suddenly a scream of pain erupted over the freq after a deep bang then silence. Church hadn't felt this helpless to help his comrades since Operation Poseidon when SEAL Team One's helicopter caught that SAM.

"Caboose!? What's going on?! Caboose! What happened?! I heard a scream over the command freq! Caboose are you their?!" Church yelled into the throat mic contacting Caboose and his team. When he got no response he began to worry a bit. "Caboose! Respond damnit!" He shouted. He suddenly heard some coughing followed by Caboose's voice coming in over the radio. "I am alright, Church no need to scream. However my squad just went through hell. We need at least thirty-five body bags for dead ship girls and about 23 medics down here as well pronto!" Caboose said, he was breathing heavily. "Roger that, Caboose. Still what was that scream about?" Church asked. He heard Caboose breathing heavily. "Portland is down. She's dead, she didn't see a dying abyssal trooper behind her manage somewhat sit up, and until it shot her twice in the back. The first round caught her in the lower back, near the kidney but the second round punched through her body armor and went between her shoulder blades, she was dead before she even hit the ground. Her scream of pain was that first round hitting her, the damn bastard was using SLAP rounds or Saboted Light Armor Penetrator, it went right through her armor and fragmented inside. As for the Abyssal that did that, it promptly had most of its head blown away by a full auto spray of rounds from Tex." Caboose snarled although his voice was heavy grief and maybe a hint of guilt and sorrow.

"Caboose I am dispatching the medics right now. Alright they are on the way." Church told Caboose over the radio.

"Copy" Caboose replied, his voice was still heavy with grief, he then cut the connection.

Church sighed, poor Caboose he always made sure to bring back his comrades and squad mates alive no matter what, yet he could tell that in the short time Caboose had known Portland he had manage to forge a close bond with her, now she was gone.

XXXX

Caboose knelt over Portland's body, her eyes were wide in shock, pain, and above all fear. He hadn't known Portland that much, but in short time he had. He managed to forge a bond with her. It wasn't as deep as it had been with Sgt. Major Katlin Richards, but it was noticeable. He said a brief prayer, and then closed Portland's eyes, as a gesture of respect to a fallen comrade.

He then drifted into past slightly, remembering the events that had led up to Portland being killed.

XXXX

 _Flashback_

 _A few minutes ago_

" _Oh damn! That is a major problem, if you could set off a flashbang grenade, preferably more than one at the same time. You might be able to nail all of the tangos." Church recommended, however he was also stunned that the enemy could setup a trap like this._

" _Alright, roger that Church we will give that a try." Caboose said. There was a brief burst of static as Caboose changed to the team freq yet Church was still able to hear the orders that Caboose was giving over the Command Freq._

" _Alright! Here's the plan. Tex, Doc on my signal throw a Flashbang grenade and I will do the same, when those nades go off, engage the enemy. Make sure you monocle is tinted as dark as it can go and that you noise cancelling headphones are on as well. On my signal." Caboose ordered. "Ready? NOW!" Caboose roared, he then tossed his flashbang just as Doc and Tex did the same. A trio of sharp bangs and bright white flashes of light went off. The Abyssal troops staggered, Caboose fired a burst and watched as the abyssal trooper he had been targeting jerked back and the ship girl he was holding sprinted to the relative safety of the back of the room. A pair of deep bangs resounded, an Abyssal 14mm pistol going off, so that is what these bastards were using! He lined up another enemy and fired a burst. Enemy pistols began barking in their general direction, the Abyssals's plan having gone right out the window, rifles were still chattering. Suddenly after bang there was a thud "INDIANAPOLIS!" Portland screamed in rage and horror. Caboose grimaced, one of the girls in here had been Portland's sister. In the chaos in which the four man team was quickly pushing the enemy back, nobody noticed a dying Abyssal trooper manage to somewhat sit up with some major effort. That is until the first deep bang resounded behind them and Portland screamed in pain and staggered forward but managed to stay on her feet; Tex spun around and saw the Abyssal trooper just before she could fire the Abyssal trooper fired again, this time Portland had just enough time to mutter "Aw crap" and then she collapsed like a ragdoll, her bio monitor that was tied into her BDU, suddenly flat lined and Caboose's heart sank. Tex saw it too, and switched from three round burst to full auto and gave a nice long spray of rounds into that thing and took it apart, putting the enemy shock trooper down for good, its head and chest area just a bloody wreckage. Moments later the group finished killing the last of the Abyssal Shock Troopers. "CLEAR!" Doc shouted. "CLEAR!" Tex yelled. "CLEAR!" Caboose boomed._

" _Guys, we've lost Portland. One of the rounds went right through her heart. She was likely dead before she hit ground." Caboose said solemnly._

" _Godamnit!" Tex snarled._

" _No way, why did fate choose her? She was so young damnit!" O'Malley growled._

" _I know, but she is gone and nothing can bring her back." Caboose said._

 _End Flashback_

XXXX

"Hey, uh Caboose. I found something! You need to see this pronto!" Doc barked, he was looking at something, this drew Caboose out of the past.

"Sweet mother of god! How is that possible!?" Caboose said stunned, what Doc had found should have been impossible, yet here she was, obviously alive, but in very rough shape.

"I don't know. HEY WAIT! WERE ARE YOU GOING?" Doc screamed, as Caboose went down the slight embankment.

"Going to rescue her!" Caboose shot back.

XXXX

Kisaragi was trying to figure out, what had just happened; when suddenly and without warning a man appeared in front of her. He pulled out his pistol and shot the restraints as she collapsed he caught her. She thought she heard him yelling. When suddenly a heavy footfall sounded off to their right. The man cursed just as another figure appeared, she didn't feel the hand off.

XXXX

"Holy crap, I thought my eyes were deceiving me." Caboose muttered, stunned at what he was seeing. He blinked to make sure it wasn't some abyssal trick. Yet, restrained to a wall, was battered yet _alive_ destroyer girl named Kisaragi! Doc appeared next him, as Caboose pulled out his M1911 and calmly shot the restraints once with those gone it looked like Kisaragi was going to fall forward. Yet Caboose moved forward and caught her. That was when Caboose thought he saw movement, thinking fast he handed Kisaragi off to Doc, just as an Abyssal ship type appeared!

XXXX

A/N: At last this chapter is done! The climax is fast approaching!

XXXX

In case you're wondering, here is a description of what Caboose looks like.

 **Name** : Michael J. Caboose

 **Rank** : Private First Class

 **Occupation** : Heavy Weapons Specialist/Explosive Ordinance Disposal Tech or EOD

 **Height** : 6 feet 5 and half inches tall

 **Weight** : 255lbs of pure rock solid muscle

 **Age:** 28 Years of Age

 **Uniform** : Modified Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (Modifications include Improved Modular Tactical Vest, an advanced Lightweight Combat Helmet with Cross-Coms Version 2.0 and 1.0 capability. With these upgrades and several others that are classified, this uniform became known as the NSBDU or Navy SEAL Battle Dress Uniform)

 **Equipment** : Varies from mission to mission, but Caboose has been seen wielding M4 50 Beowulfs, M134H or Handheld Minigun, XM-8 Modular Assault Rifle in heavy barreled automatic with an underslung grenade launcher, plus the occasional shotgun usually either an Auto Assault-12 or Saiga-12 combat shotgun, the occasional Barret M95 or M98B Sniper Rifle, the occasional Abyssal weapon, more recently the M4 450 Marlin, he also uses M67 Fragmentation Grenades, Model 308-1 Napalm Grenades, M84 Stun Grenades, XM25 Grenade Launcher, China Lake Pump Action Grenade Launcher, a various assortment of Rocket Launchers from the M202A1 Flash Napalm Launcher all the way to the FGM-148 Javelin Missile Launcher, a combat knife of some type as well as a utility knife, his side arm is usually a M1911 or as it's known in military circles the M45A1 pistol.

 **Personality** : While he might seem to be rather dim-witted at first, he actually has a very sharp mind, able to do the calculations for a kill shot on Abyssal Commander hitting a target the size of a watermelon from just over a mile away in his head without the use of a Ballistic Computer. He is also very caring for those around him and if a Squad member dies when he could have done something to prevent his/her death, he takes it kind of hard on himself. However just like almost every other Navy SEAL out there he is a trained killer, and knows how to kill a man or abyssal for that matter twenty different ways with just his hands. Yet just from his looks it wouldn't look like he is a killer.

 **Physical Appearance** : Caboose has startlingly bright blonde hair cut military short and bright, intelligent, electric blue eyes. He has a scar that runs straight at odd angle across his forehead, curving down toward the bridge of his nose before veering sharply and stopping just shy of his left eye; thanks to getting into CQC with an Abyssal Shock Trooper that actually knew how to handle a knife. He is a broad-shouldered man with a heavy muscular build.

 **Friendships/Comrades** : Caboose while he can be annoying is liked by all. He is on okay terms with his CO which while he knows his name, only told me his code name which is 'Church'. He is a known friend of Cpt. Lavernius Tucker of the USMC Marine Force Raiders. Caboose also is on great terms with the United States Army Delta Force Team Rattrap and again while he has told me the name of one member of Team Rattrap he hasn't given me the names of the rest members because they wanted to remain anonymous, but he did give me their codenames they are 'Sarge', 'Lopez', 'Simmons', and 'Donut'. He used to have a girlfriend who was also a SEAL but she was killed in action during an Operation to liberate Saigon or Ho Chi Ming City as it is known as a result of that Caboose hasn't formed any relationships as close as he did with his girlfriend for fear that the war would rip it away.

I hope you like it. If you want me to post more OC descriptions like this one, please let me know in the comments. 

Now for some technobabble

.

Cross-Coms was first used by Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Operations Group aka Ghost Recon. However when the Abyssal War kicked off and US Army Grunts, US Marines, and even Special Forces began having a hard-ass time clearing buildings because of how good Abyssal Infantry was, the decision was made by the White House to release Cross-Coms Version 1.0 and 2.0 to the Regular Infantry and Special Forces respectively. The Ghosts however continued to use Cross-Coms Version 3.0 and better throughout the war. With the Introduction of the first two generations of Cross-Coms, the land against the Abyssals to a drastic turn for the better. Thanks to that choice the USMC succeeded in securing Bermuda from the enemy in about two months instead of the projected five months. The Russians have been known to have their own equivalent for a while but quickly followed America's lead and give it to the regulars. Pretty soon Germany, United Kingdom, and France also had their own version being used. With these systems in place, humanity was able to quickly gain the much needed momentum to be able to push the Abyssals out of North Africa, India, Vietnam, Philippines, and Gaum. It was due to that decision just before Operation Poseidon kicked off that the Operation was a resounding success.


	9. Chapter VIII

A/N: I don't own anything save my OCs.

XXXX/

 _That was when Caboose thought he saw movement, thinking fast he handed Kisaragi off to Doc, just as an Abyssal ship type appeared!_

XXXX

Caboose rolled backwards and came up on one knee as Doc carrying Kisaragi scrambled out of the way. He then sprayed the thing with .450 Marlin ammunition. This round could stomp a Bison to the ground from the 500 yards away. Yet from a range of fifteen feet away a long burst of 25 rounds had done _nothing_ to it! "What's going on?" Tex asked as she came over and peered into the area that Caboose was in with that big ass Abyssal, she then recoiled and yelled "BIG DAMN ABYSSAL!" she then began spraying the big bastard but her rifle was only shooting 5.7x28mm ammunition and it was of smaller caliber than Caboose's rifle. There was a thunderous _wham_ was a M67 Frag grenade thrown by Caboose exploded and sent the Abyssal on to its ass. To Caboose's dismay the Abyssal ship type simply got back up, an absolutely chilling grin on its face. It was basically saying 'I can do this all day. Can you do it all day? I doubt it from what you have done so far.' Caboose swore and then reloaded his rifle then began spraying it again. Then to the surprise of all, the thing lunged with surprising speed and brutally backhanded Caboose sending him flying at least twenty feet away. Caboose slowly got to his feet and then dropped his rifle and pulled out his shotgun, a Saiga-12. He then slammed a clip of 12-gauge HEAT rounds which was similar to what the AA-12 could fire. He then fired a round, and watched as the thing reeled. "Come here you big piece of Abyssal turd!" Caboose snarled.

The Abyssal ship type growled and began to walk slowly toward Caboose, with its yellow eyes glowing with hatred. Caboose slowly walked toward it as well, firing his shotgun, the tiny HEAT round was obviously punching through its armor as it staggered slightly with each hit, and its eyes winched with pain. Just before they touched Caboose began to one arm his shotgun, just as he pulled the trigger the thing smacked his weapon out of his hand, sending skittering across the floor its barrel bent. It then grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground, and began to squeeze slowly increasing the pressure, however this was Caboose's plan, he then he pulled out his combat knife a CQC-6 combat knife, which had been named after SEAL Team 6, he then grunting with the effort slammed the knife into the thing's right eye. It reeled howling in pain and dropped Caboose and it thrashed in pain. Caboose finally had the advantage! Caboose pulled out a second combat knife this one Glock Survival Knife, made in Austria, he then swept his leg low, and watched with satisfaction as the enemy fell on its ass, still howling in pain. He brought the knife down toward it's the crown of its head, and watched as the knife glanced off. The bastard was _really_ well protected. Without missing a beat, he yanked the CQC-6 out of its right eye, if anything it howled louder in pain. Caboose delivered a hell of a kick to its chest and put flat on its back. He swung the Glock survival knife across the thing's neck and grimaced slightly as thick black blood came squirting out of the gash, he then slammed the CQC-6 into the gash the Glock Survival knife had created. More blood came pouring out of the wound as its jugular was ripped open. Its howling became a sickening gurgle, and it suddenly got sick and tired of a human that was probably a good two feet shorter than it kicking its ass. He slammed a punch into Caboose's stomach, it felt as if a pile driver had just hit him, he staggered, but continued slashing at its neck with his knives, this was why Caboose _hated_ fighting Abyssal ship types on land. They were tough and a virtual pain in the ass to kill, however Caboose now figured he could a grenade into that thing's neck.

He sheathed one of his knives, the CQC-6. Its blade was now severely nicked, and the handle was likely cracked but he didn't care. He then pulled out of his webbing a Model 308-1 Napalm Grenade, he then pulled the pin and slammed it into the gash he created with his knives wedging it in there nice and good, he then sprang away. He watched as it barely got to its feet, then realized that a nade was in its neck, Caboose swore he thought he heard the thing say "Oh Son of a-" then the Napalm grenade went off, it screamed as flames roiled from its neck and the Napalm stuck to it and began to burn. It thrashed widely clawing at its neck trying to put the fire out, but you would basically need a water dropper to put that fire out. It flailed for roughly three minutes before collapsing dead.

Caboose knew he had taken a beating, he saw Tex sprinting toward him. A look of awe and worry plastered on her face. Then a wave of understanding came over Caboose, he had just killed an Abyssal Ship Type on land. A feat that was incredibly rare, among the ground troops, it usually took at least one division to take one down. Yet Caboose had just done it; _single-handily_! "Godamnit that hurt!" Caboose groaned out falling to one knee, as the adrenaline slowly ebbed from his body and the pain hit him. Just from the way he was feeling he probably had several broken bones, hopefully just ribs and maybe a severely bruised jaw.

"Damn, I thought you were a trooper before. But after taking that hit, any other man would have likely been screaming in pain or dead. However you took that like a champ." Tex said as she slowly lifted Caboose to his feet and began to support his weight. "Come on Tiger, let's get you to the medics after that fight, you are going to be going to the hospital." Tex said as she helped Caboose walk to where one of the medics took one look at him and said "Christ buddy, I am going to sedate you right now. You are going to the _America_ ASAP." Caboose had nodded then barely felt the needle go in, the drug quickly took effect.

XXXX

Five days later

USS _America_

Heading back to Pearl Harbor at flank speed

The first thing Caboose was aware of was constant beeping, probably from a heart rate monitor. He must have groaned, for a doctor suddenly appeared. "Easy their Private, you took a hell of a beating during Operation: Bunkershot." She said. "Yeah, tell me something I don't know. I know I took a pounding killing that Abyssal ship type." Caboose groaned out. "Actually there is one thing. A couple of Japanese ship girls want to meet you and talk to you if you are feeling up to it." The nurse said. _That_ news got Caboose wide awake. "I think, I can feel up to it you can send them in." Caboose said and the nurse nodded.

A few moments a pair of familiar faces walked in, Caboose recognized them instantly as Fubuki and Yuudachi, right behind them on crutches was a ship girl that Caboose had heard about but had never meet, Kisaragi. Fubuki sat on the end of the bed while Yuudachi and Kisaragi each sat down in a chair.

"How are you doing, Caboose?" Fubuki asked nervously, she had very clearly heard of what had happened to Caboose on his rescue mission.

"I am doing fine Fubuki thanks for asking. However, if there is one thing I want to know is that Yuudachi how were you not killed in your encounter with that Battleship Water Demon division?" Caboose asked curiously.

"To be frank I have no idea. That action was frantic, I don't know why when my engine quit why I wasn't executed. The Abyssal rarely take POWs and when they do, it's only so they can execute one for sport. Last thing I remember before waking up in that convoy was a Battleship Water Demon, the only one left I might add, approaching me and then it said 'Surrender or die, it's your choice' so I surrendered and probably just to make sure I didn't struggle, it knocked me out. Next thing I remember is that I am waking up, and I am in a convoy of Abyssal transports guarded by mainly Destroyer Water Demons and a couple of Light Cruiser Princesses. We then entered that storm. I remember watching a Wa-class catch a wave broadside on, the lines holding two POWs both _Wickes_ -class Destroyer girls fail the sudden release of weight combined with her cargo shifting caused her to capsize and sink so fast it was incredible. The same thing happened to two other ship girls. Both Torpedo Cruisers. When I entered that POW camp I was so scared. The rest I guess you know. Poi" Yuudachi said quaking visibly, her voice laced with fear and dread at the horrors that she had gone through at that battle then during her time as a POW.

"Don't beat yourself up, Yuudachi. If you think the horrors were bad during the five months you were there was bad. It's nothing. I was at that infernal place for almost the entire war, trust me. I went through horrors that are probably going to give me nightmares for the rest of my life. So Yuudachi please don't beat yourself up over it. If anything you surrendering was just your natural instinct to continue living kicking in, you have no one to blame Yuudachi. Besides the _Clemson_ -class girl Pope wouldn't have survived in that place without you. If anything you should be commended." Kisaragi said, in soft yet pained voice, Fubuki and Yuudachi looked at her stunned.

"What's wrong?" Caboose asked not knowing what was going on.

"That was the first time she spoke well since you rescued her. We all thought she would never speak again. Not because she couldn't, but because she just wouldn't be able to do so at all with what she was been through. When you rescued her, it was painfully obvious that she had been through the ringer. Yet she hadn't been talking at all. However now she is, it's a great sign that she is recovering albeit slowly." Fubuki said, looking at Kisaragi with admiration that despite her being a POW for several years she was a survivor, and had an amazing will to live one that rivaled Samuel B. Roberts's, Yamato's, or hell even Enterprise's.

"Truth be told Fubuki, we would have never found her if we hadn't gone after Yuudachi. Which I was going to do regardless if you were going to come along or not. I am not the kind of person who lives men behind, and in my book that goes double for a ship girl." Caboose said.

"Quoting the Eric Nyland's book Halo: First Strike, seriously?" A new voice said, everyone looked to the door where another ship girl was standing. She had dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. She was wearing a full NWU as well.

"Who are you?" Kisaragi asked her voice still soft but pained.

"My name is _Indiana_ formally USS _Indiana_ BB-58, second member of the _South Dakota_ -class of Battleship. I want to drop by and just say thank you for saving me Caboose, as well as others. Just thank you." Indiana said.

"Indiana, your welcome. Also may I please ask a question?" Caboose said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Fire away" Indiana said, having no idea what the question was.

"Has anyone ever be it on accident or purpose, called you Indiana Jones?" Caboose asked cheekily.

Indiana's face turned red she then shouted "WHY DOES EVERYONE ASK ME THAT QUESTION? I AM ALWAYS GETTING CALLED 'JONES' BY SOUTH DAKOTA!"

Everyone in the room was trying to suppress their laughter at that remark, because well it was too funny. But at the mention of South Dakota, Fubuki noted that Kisaragi had a pained look on her face. "Did I say something wrong?" Indiana asked, having noted it as well.

"Yeah, you did Indiana, poi. Kisaragi was holding out for a miracle, but from what we could tell, this was the Abyssals only major POW camp on the planet, poi. The guard in the room you were in, told her that her technically older sister was killed during Operation: IBS, poi. She just found out that it's true, worse she is now the eldest of the Mutsuki-class of destroyer girl, poi. So please don't mention a name ship from a class around her, poi." Yuudachi said, hugging Kisaragi who at the mention of her sister began to sob silently, holding Yuudachi tight. The way Kisaragi was holding Yuudachi, reminded her so much of the way Fubuki helped Mutsuki get over the loss of Kisaragi when she thought she was gone. "Mutsuki, is gone, I can't really believe it. I have been hoping what that Abyssal ship type told me was a lie, to crush me, so they could perform even crueler experiments on me. I didn't want to believe it, but something in my gut just told me she was gone." Kisaragi said even softer than before.

XXXX

Meanwhile on the bridge of the _America_ commodore Jenkins S. Murphy who was _not_ related to Eddie Murphy in any way sat in the Captain's chair on the bridge _America_ was sipping his coffee, he had just gotten a complaint from the air boss that one of the F-14F Tomcats had just done a flyby and caused him to spill his coffee down his front, again. That was when one of the bridge wing lookouts spotted something. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?! SURFACE CONTACT! BEARING 065 TRUE! RANGE 15,000 METERS!" He screamed in terror.

"WHAT?! Give me identification! NOW!" Murphy roared, while shooting a look at the radio operator. "Prepare to go to General Quarters." He snapped. "Yes sir!" Came two simultaneous replies.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD!" The lookout cried "ITS _THE FLYING DUTCHMAN_!"

That got _everyone's_ attention, instantly everyone on the bridge was grabbing binoculars and looking toward the unknown. Sure enough a strange three masted, ghostly lit brig was pulling the hook perpendicular to their course. She was under full canvas and moving at about seventeen knots.

"I'll be damned it's her alright. It has been a long-ass time since I've seen her, about 80 odd years." A new voice said behind Jenkins he spun and then grinned it was the _America_ 's liaison to the American Ship Girl program, Langley formally USS _Langley_ CV-1.

"Really? That's a shocker, I had no idea Langley you've encountered _The Flying Dutchman_. It makes you wonder is it just a trick of the light, or is the legend real? I guess it's one of those questions that we will never know the answer too." Jenkins said.

"Aye, when we encountered her, she signaled us asking for us to send a Pirate named Blackbeard over in a whaleboat. To which we replied saying he's been dead for at least a century." Langley replied giving a knowing wink.

"Captain! I am seeing a signal lamp flashing. Message reads as follows. Unknown ship unknown ship unknown ship please send over one William Halsey over in a whaleboat. Well then, that's original." The XO said causing everyone to chuckle.

"Tell them William Halsey has been dead for nearly fifty years, sorry." Jenkins ordered, trying not burst out laughing.

"Yes sir!" The lookout replied letting out a snicker, he then proceeded to send the reply.

"Not getting a response, she's heeling over to port away from us, what the hell! She's gone!" The lookout barked in awe, as the ghostly brig disappeared without a trace.

XXXX

The next day, the _America_ 's encounter with _The Flying Dutchman_ was the buzz of discussion. _The Dutchman_ had been seen before, but some took it as a good omen that the infamous ghost ship had been seen instead of an omen of doom. Sure enough they were right, for the Abyssals never showed their face once.

About three days later the _America_ pulled into Pearl Harbor. Caboose was given a hell of a promotion to Captain and was also given an offer to join some Special Forces Unit known as the Delta Company 1st Battalion 5th Special Operations Group, which he was given right after he was released from the hospital about a month later. Caboose accepted the offer, but both Fubuki and Yuudachi had made him promise that he would write to them whenever he could, and would visit them occasionally. Not wanting to get on the bad side of Fubuki and Yuudachi he accepted.

XXXX

"It feels great to be able to walk again without those damned crutches, right." Caboose said as he got ready for his morning run, Fubuki and Kisaragi were with him.

"Hai! It sure does!" Kisaragi said, her voice still soft but not as pained as it was when she first spoke a month ago.

"I am excited to get back into routine. Let's roll!" Fubuki said, giving Kisaragi a loving pat on the back, while it wasn't the same as receiving one from a member of her own class, it was still enough to make her crack in a bit of smile.

The run went well, although Caboose being a bit more muscular than the ship girls even if they did look stronger than they looked didn't have the endurance in their bodies to maintain a full sprint at all like Caboose could. Yet Pearl Harbor was large base far larger than the Naval District Yokosuka. The reason Kisaragi was with them, was to help with her rehabilitation she had only recently began to speak about what the Abyssals had done to her. She did it in scared tones. Roughly forty-five minutes into the run, Fubuki said "I can't go on anymore" she was exhausted and Kisaragi nodded. Caboose nodded, "Alright, let's head to Florida's Bar, its run by a pretty familiar face." He said.

"How so?" Kisaragi asked.

"It's run by the Battleship Girl Florida, she's a good cook, nowhere near as good as Mamiya is good in terms of being a cook." Caboose said.

"I guess we will be the judge of that." Fubuki and Kisaragi said together before sharing a look with a Caboose and laughing a bit. When they composed themselves they walked to the bar.

"It's not that far from where we are. We could easily be there in twenty minutes." Caboose said looking at his watch.

"What are we waiting for, let's roll." Fubuki said and Kisaragi nodded.

XXXX

Twenty minutes later, the group arrived at Florida's Bar which she had been running since she was retired after she had gotten into a brutal engagement with an enemy Aviation Battleship Division. The building was a modest in size, a two story building made of brick, with a wooden porch. Caboose, Fubuki, and Kisaragi walked into the bar and took a seat that overlooked the harbor.

It didn't take long for Florida to show up. Florida being the name ship of her class of Battleship, which were considered obsolete when World War II started, was rather short for a Battleship, roughly around five feet four inches and she appeared physically to be around 26 years of age. She had fire red hair and gorgeous green eyes. She was wearing a red Jimmy Buffet shirt that said Summer Coolz on it, and gray shorts, along with blue and white sandals.

"How are you three doing?" She asked kindly as she passed out menus.

"Not bad, just got out of the hospital. I've always been something of a fast healer. Still, I can't wait to get back in the saddle. I hear that British are gearing up and I do mean gearing up to kick the Abyssals out of the Falkland Islands. Because well the British were pissed about hearing that the Abyssals took the Falklands, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was deployed there to help with the land operations." Caboose said as he looked through the menu.

"What about you two? Your obviously ship girls, Japanese if I had to guess." Florida said looking at Fubuki and Kisaragi.

"That's because we are, I am Fubuki and this is Kisaragi." Fubuki replied gesturing to Kisaragi.

Florida stopped cold, "Fubuki, did you take part in Operation Bunker Shot?" She asked.

"Yes, I did. So did Caboose here, it was a really big Operation. Well not in terms of scope as Operation: IBS, but still good sized." Fubuki said, warily.

"It's all well and good, believe me. I would have really wanted to join you. But ever since I limped back into port, with my younger sister Utah, and a single destroyer; with us being the lone survivors from an encounter with two Re-class Aviation Battleships, a Nu-class Escort Carrier, three Ri-class Heavy Cruisers, a To-class Light Cruiser, and six I-class Destroyers. I haven't put to sea since that incident. Considering that I had been the focus of gunfire from both of the enemy Battleships and one of the Ri-class I just took a hammering. Considering my fleet had myself, Utah, four light cruisers, a single heavy cruiser, and five destroyers. We just got completely stomped in an action that became known as the Skirmish off Johnston Atoll. Some claim it was a tactical victory for the Abyssals but a Strategic defeat. While others say it was a tactical defeat but an enormous strategic victory. I simply do not know however, I was lucky to have survived that encounter." Florida said.

"Still, how did you find out about Operation: Bunker Shot?" Caboose asked.

"Simple, just five minutes before the Operation began. The CO of the naval district announced it, probably to boost morale." Florida said with a wink.

Caboose and Fubuki nodded in response. That made sense, morale had been okay, but not spectacular after Operation: Countdown/Battle-axe/IBS. Thus announcing this, just five minutes before the Operation began, would have made morale soar.

Florida looked like she wanted to ask Kisaragi something but thought better of it. "What can I get for you?" She asked.

"I think, I will have a coffee; black two sugar cubes, with scrambled eggs and hash browns." Caboose said, after looking through the menu one more time.

"Alright" Florida said, taking the order down on her notepad. She then looked at Fubuki and Kisaragi and said "You two would like the Destroyer serving for breakfast?"

"I guess" Kisaragi said.

"Why not, a load of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, and a large Orange Juice? That sounds good." Fubuki said after looking at the menu.

XXXX

Ten minutes later, they had their breakfast in front of them. "Holy, when Zuihou told me that the USN doesn't mess around when it comes to breakfast, she wasn't kidding." Fubuki said, looking at the massive platter in front of her. Truth be told, there was probably enough food in front of her to feed a _Kuma_ -class _Light Cruiser Girl_. Which boggled Fubuki's mind.

"Eat, what you can Fubuki, same goes for you Kisaragi. Doing big breakfasts here in the United States Navy is par course. It helps us focus when we are in combat, because the last thing you need is to be distracted by hungry stomach. It's to mainly help the pilots when they are on missions that last four or five hours or more." Caboose explained, giving a knowing wink.

Fubuki tentatively took a bite, while it wasn't nowhere near as good as Mamiya's Café, but then again it was close.

XXXX

About an hour later, they had finished breakfast. Fubuki and Kisaragi had both agreed, that while Florida wasn't as good as Mamiya was, but then again Florida was a battleship, as they stood up to leave, music began to play from hidden speakers. Fubuki nor Kisaragi knew what the name of the song was, nor did they know who had wrote it. However Caboose recognized it, and began to sing softly.

 _As the son of a son of a sailor_

 _I went out on the sea for adventure_

 _Expanding the view of the captain and crew_

 _Like a man just released from indenture_

 _As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man_

 _I have chalked up many a mile_

 _Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks_

 _And I learned much from both of their styles_

 _Son of a son, son of a son_

 _Son of a son of a sailor_

 _Son of a gun, load the last ton_

 _One step ahead of the jailer_

 _Now away in the near future_

 _Southeast of disorder_

 _You can shake the hand of the mango man_

 _As he greets you at the border_

 _And the lady she hails from Trinidad_

 _Island of the Spices_

 _Salt for your meat, and cinnamon sweet_

 _And the rum is for all your good vices_

 _Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind_

 _That our forefathers harnessed before us_

 _Hear the bells ring as the tight rigging sings_

 _It's a son of a gun of a chorus_

 _Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends_

 _If I knew I might toss out my anchor_

 _So I cruise along always searchin' for songs_

 _Not a lawyer a thief or a banker_

 _But a son of a son, son of a son_

 _Son of a son of a sailor_

 _Son of a gun, load the last ton_

 _One step ahead of the jailer_

 _I'm just a son of a son, son of a son_

 _Son of a son of a sailor_

 _The sea's in my veins, my tradition remains_

 _I'm just glad I don't live in a trailer_

"Wow, Caboose? What is the name of that song?" Kisaragi asked, after hearing the song.

"That song is a popular favorite, here at the Bar as we call it. It was written by Jimmy Buffet and the song is called _Son of a Sailor_. Mainly because well it fits how many of us in the Navy are, we are often following in the steps of our fathers or grandfathers or even great grandfathers in some cases. For some reason it's also popular among ship girls as well." Caboose said, grinning.

He then checked his watch and frowned "Crap, we need to get you over to Hickam pronto. I was told to look after you, your flight home leaves in thirty-five minutes, so we better get going." Caboose said with a sigh.

"So is this goodbye for the time being then?" Fubuki asked.

"I am afraid so, don't worry. I won't forget to write." Caboose replied with a wink.

"Good to hear Caboose. I don't know how I could ever repay you. Thanks for all you have done with helping with my rehab." Kisaragi said.

"Kisaragi, you have an incredible gift inside you," Caboose said kneeling down to look Kisaragi in the eyes. "That gift is the fact that you have an incredible will. If anything you have proven the power of the human will. The fact is, your will is nearly unshakable, if any other person had been in your place their will would have failed them very quickly. Yet yours didn't shake." He finished.

"You really think that, I am special?" Kisaragi asked.

"Yes, you have just come out of an incredible ordeal and just like any other human, has been traumatized by it. Now if you are still having those same nightmares that you were having after you came out of your medically induced coma, just write or give me a call. I will personally schedule you to have an appointment with a specialist, so you can undergo an examination for suspected PTSD. But remember your will, and what you pulled off, and you will go far." Caboose said.

Kisaragi nodded in response, a smile beginning to tug at her lips.

"Um, Caboose? What is PTSD? I have never heard of it." Fubuki asked tapping her fingers together.

"Let's walk and talk." Caboose said he then sighed before continuing. "Fubuki, PTSD is an acronym for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, it can develop if a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events. Events in war is one of those sadly. I wouldn't be surprised if Kisaragi developed it." He said grimly.

"I see, Caboose? Do you have PTSD?" Fubuki asked, nervously.

"No, I don't. If I did, I would have been given an honorable discharge on a medical condition. However with all the crap I have seen, I am surprised I don't have it, however I am not complaining." Caboose replied.

XXXX

Twenty-five minutes later, Caboose, Kisaragi, and Fubuki came to the flight line. Fubuki and Kisaragi snapped to attention. "Admiral" they both chorused. Caboose looked franticly around, then slowly faced palmed when he came to the realization that Fubuki and Kisaragi were talking about the man standing in front of them. "It's good to see you again Fubuki, and Kisaragi, everyone is really excited to see you again. When I read the after-action report that had been compiled by Admiral Shane. I was beyond stunned with how successful the mission was. Also, battleship Nevada said she wants to talk you after you see everyone. She has become sort of the de-facto base consular at Yokosuka. She helped Yamato, or Yammy as some of the American Ship Girls call her, get out of her funk over the loss of Aoba." The Japanese Admiral said.

"Alright good to hear." Caboose said, he then looked at Fubuki and Kisaragi and said "I guess, this is goodbye then. I've never been good with them. However, since I don't know when I will see you again. I will try and write whenever I can." To Caboose's surprise, both Fubuki and Kisaragi grabbed him in a hug, which Caboose returned, after pulled apart. Caboose watched the three as they ascended the stairway then got into the C-17. He watched as the big grey Airforce Transport taxied to the runway and then proceeded to take-off and begin its long journey toward Japan. Sighing Caboose headed back toward the Barracks to pack his things then catch a C-17 back to the Mainland United States which would take him to Travis Air Force Base, there he would then get on a C-130 heading to Pope Field which was part of Fort Bragg and thus into the next part of his military career.

XXXX

A/N: Another Chapter has come to an end. Right after this chapter, will be an Epilogue. Thank you for keeping up with this story, it has been a blast writing it.

As always keep an eye on your 180 and give them hell!


	10. Epilouge

A/N: I don't own anything save my OCs.

XXXX

Fubuki, watched as Hickam Air Force Base and Naval Station/District Pearl Harbor receded from view. Fubuki felt as if part of her was being left behind, during the time she had spent recovering at Pearl Harbor she had grown attached to the place. It was a wonderful place, the USS _Arizona_ Memorial had stood out sharply because of its stark whiteness and its position. The memorial to the fallen ship girls which just like the one at Yokosuka was a simple statue, this one of a famous admiral in WWII, Admiral William Halsey, which was made out of chiseled red granite. She loved watching the seemingly endless hustle and bustle of the Naval District and Naval Station. Not to mention smell of the sea was everywhere, thanks to an almost constant sea breeze. Plus, the great _Iowa_ -class Battleship, at anchor where she was getting her magazines replenished. Florida's Bar and the kind and motherly Battleship Girl who ran it, who played Jimmy Buffet music from hidden speakers.

However Fubuki also reminisced about the time she had spent in Task Force Savior and began to come to the realization of just how justified now that the name Task Force Savior was considering that Operation: Bunker Shot was a smashing success. She remembered hearing stories of fast paced and frantic combat from Dutch Harbor, during the Alaskan Campaign.

As well as the long arduous grind that the Asiatic Theater was, thanks to stories of the action there from Balch, as well as her involvement in Operation Poseidon.

To the story of the Battle for The Strait of Magellan from Kentucky and the Close Quarters Brawl that battle was and how there was cases of friendly fire on both sides as well as confusing orders, as well as the action to defend the Pacific side of the Panama Canal, and how despite having the edge in numbers how the Abyssals suffered a breakdown in there command structure allowing them to be routed.

To the endless waiting for action to brew up during the Battle of Easter Island and then the bursts of frantic AA combat for when it did happen from Enterprise, as well as other actions.

To the Defense of Scapa Flow and how the Abyssal seemingly threw almost their entire surface force stationed in the Atlantic against the British in an attempt to put a critical regular navy base and naval district out of commission and how they had been stonewalled by just the battleship girls _Queen Elizabeth_ sisters, Duke of York, and Vanguard, three aircraft carrier girls Glory, Ocean, and Warrior, battlecruiser girl Hood, the heavy cruiser girls Cumberland and Devonshire, the light cruiser girl Bermuda, the destroyer girls Zephyr, Zest, Whelp, Hardy, and Undaunted, and the frigate girls Largo Bay, Start Bay, Whitesand Bay, and Loch Cree. They had been up against seemingly impossible odds, an astounding two Ru-class Battleship Divisions each composed of six Battleships, three Re-class Aviation Battleship Divisions each composed of three battleships and an Air Defense Princess, four Ne-class Heavy Cruiser Divisions each composed of eight cruisers apiece, two light cruiser Divisions each composed of a dozen cruisers of various class, and a dozen destroyer Divisions each composed of ten destroyers each.

To the tales of hunting the Abyssals in biting cold of the Northern Fleet Operating Area from Kirov and Sverdlov, to a frantic action that had occurred just after they had transferred to the Black Sea Fleet to give the ship girl force there a boost while the lone Battleship in the force there was in dock getting repaired, just before a critical operation to let merchant shipping get to the Ukraine and put relief on the overland routes. That action was known as the Battle of the Bosporus.

To the tales that Pasadena and Miami had told when they had been escorting the carrier girl Franklin until her demise during Operation: Skyfall.

To the time Gaum had a little 'fun' during the defense of Balikpapan along with a trio of destroyer girls and a pair of light cruiser girls. Said fun, included having to get into a close quarters knife fight with a Battleship Water Demon escorted by an Escort Fortress.

To the actions in the Baltic Sea and North Sea, helping defend convoys, oil rigs, and natural gas rigs from Abyssal attacks from Scharnhorst.

To the liberation of the Suez Canal and then ensuing Abyssal Counter-Attack and how it was repulsed from Impero.

To the one time that Surcouf had stumbled upon a convoy of Wa-class Transports escorted by a destroyer that thought it was Bongo Pete from the movie Run Silent, Run Deep and how she had easily sunk it with just one torpedo and then had promptly gone on to completely annihilate the convoy.

To the embarrassing moment Perkins had, when she accidently ran aground on a reef that was well known and marked on every single chart, and then how she had to defend herself against a Ri-class Heavy Cruiser, three Tsu-class AA cruisers, and a pair of I-class Destroyers, and how she couldn't dodge at all unless she wanted to rip the bottom out of her outfit.

"Thinking about the time that you had with Task Force Savior?" Kisaragi asked, as she looked up from a book she was reading.

"Yeah, I am. It's just that we had such an amazing time together and we got to know each other really well. I mean, the way we worked together as a team was impeccable, when I was in that Task Force I felt, that we could take on anything and win easily." Fubuki admitted.

"Hey, the last time I saw you before I got captured was just before the Operation to liberate Wake Island began. Now look at you! You are brimming with confidence in yourself." Kisaragi said, with admiration.

That made Fubuki stop and think _she's right, just before the Operation to Liberate Wake Island. I often had trouble believing in myself. Now five years later, I am a battle-hardened veteran, as well as a person who is full of confidence in their abilities as a ship girl. I really have come a long way._ She thought, pondering on Kisaragi's words, she quickly came to the conclusion that Kisaragi was right, she _had_ changed, and for the better as well.

XXXX

Yuudachi was with Inazuma and Pope at the cliff that overlooked Tokyo Bay. Pope was still having nightmares from her experience at that infernal POW camp at Wake Island as well as from Operation: Battle-Axe. So Inazuma and Yuudachi had made it their personal mission to help her recover from what she went through during her time at that POW camp and from what she went through during Operation: Battle-Axe. At that the moment, Pope was currently playing a game of catch with Inazuma, while this was going on Yuudachi was simply watching. She had wanted to do this but Inazuma had insisted that she did it instead. Now Yuudachi could see why; Pope while she did feel safe around Yuudachi, it obvious that she had managed to form a close bond with Inazuma, maybe because they had both gone through a horrifying experience: losing their sister ship. Maybe it was the fact that had happened to both of them, that they were forming a bond. Yuudachi then heard a twig snap behind her, she turned around and grinned behind her was Hibiki and Akizuki both having woke up from their comas about two weeks ago after being in one for roughly four months. However, both destroyer girls had changed not physically well, save for a subtle scar on Hibiki's neck that was roughly three inches long and the fact that Akizuki had a scar on her chin however it was a subtle little thing, barely a half inch long, she didn't seem to be bothered by it.

Yuudachi walked over to the two "Hi Akizuki, Hibiki how are you two doing?" She asked, keeping her voice low so that way Inazuma wouldn't hear her.

"Pretty good, I guess. However we heard about Ikazuchi. Is it true? Is she really gone?" Akizuki asked, dread seeping into voice, yet also keeping her voice low.

"I am afraid so, Tenyruu also didn't make it. However to ensure that you three survived, even though her main battery was knocked out of commission completely, she drew her sword and engaged that unknown Abyssal Ship Type, I think we have given it the designation of _Ra_ -class Assault/Breeching Ship from what we could gather, it is supposed to replace the Ru-class Battleship and the Ne-class Heavy Cruiser. In the action that followed, it resulted in their mutual destruction, we know this because a pair of Helldivers overflew your squadron just as Tenyruu and that thing succeeded in killing each other." Yuudachi replied.

Akizuki looked like she wanted to cry, but managed to hold her tears back. Hibiki also managed to not cry openly, but she did shed a few silent tears. That was when Akizuki noticed Pope, "Who is she?" She asked, gesturing to the small destroyer girl.

"Akizuki her name is Pope. She is a member of _Clemson_ -class of Destroyers, that class of Destroyers along with a two others falls under the moniker 'Four stacker' or 'Four-piper'. The reason is being, is because when she was a ship she had a flush deck and was powered by four boilers so four stacks, the design of the _Wickes_ and _Clemson_ -class of Destroyers is recognizable around the world." Yuudachi said, casting an uneasily glance back toward Pope and Inazuma.

"Oh, is she American by chance?" Hibiki asked.

Yuudachi nodded "She went through hell during that battle. It's best not to talk about it to her, nor the events that she went through _after_ the battle." She said.

"What do you mean?" Akizuki asked.

"Both me and Pope, were captured by the enemy after Operation: IBS. Trust me, we have both been traumatized by it." Yuudachi explained.

"Oh" Akizuki and Hibiki said together, a little too loudly.

Inazuma looked away from Pope for just a moment, and couldn't believe her eyes, her sisters were here! She got up and sprinted towards them, however Hibiki didn't see her, until she grabbed her in tight hug. Akizuki looked around and then saw Inazuma giving Hibiki a hug and then sort of jumped on the pile. Yuudachi smiled, the _Akizuki_ -class was finally reunited or as close to it as they would ever be. She then felt Pope grab her hand, she made a mental note, to go to the memorial to the fallen later that day.

XXXX

"Roma! Italia! Vittorio! I am back!" Impero called out, as she walked into the battleship barracks at the Naval District located in Naples, Italy. Almost immediately Italia and Roma were upon her, tackling her to the ground in a hug. Vittorio came into the entrance hall a few moments later, she had long dark brown hair and dark brown hair, and she was dressed the way the rest of the _Vittorio_ -class Battleship Girls dressed. However, judging by the amount of wheat flour on her face, the three had been in the middle of making some pasta, thus when Impero had called out, whoever had been holding the flour bag as they emptied the amount needed into the bowl had dropped said bag into the bowl and well caused the flour to go everywhere.

"Impero! You have the worse timing it seems, thanks to you calling out you were back Italia dropped the flour bag and ran here with Roma right behind her. Getting me covered in flour!" She scolded.

"What, no sort of greeting to your youngest sister?" Impero asked.

Vittorio grumped however then gave Impero a hug. "Just because you seem to have the worst timing ever, I still love you in a sisterly way. However, I am still your older, over protective sister." Vittorio admitted.

"Too true!" Impero said.

"Also before you ask, we haven't gone on any sorties. Life is getting boring around here!" Italia said with a pout.

"To be frank, I don't blame them! After we lost Braham even though she was escorted by a ring of destroyers and Cruisers!" Roma snapped, having obviously been shaken by Braham's death.

"We will get over it, trust me will! She would probably kick our asses if she found out that we were moping around after her death. Besides, if Valiant who was Braham's younger sister ship and Malaya who was her older sister ship could get over her death, we certainly can." Vittorio pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess; still two days after Braham's last sortie was scheduled to end, myself, Valiant, and Braham had decided to go out to the movies to see Star Wars: Episode VIII The return of the Republic. Then we heard she was sunk in a submarine attack, and that plan obviously fell through, that was a year ago, in April of 2018." Italia lamented grimly.

"Still, you have to admit that it is kind of funny that Braham even though in her previous life she was sunk in 1941. That it was funny that during the time she was here; that she developed a liking for the Star Wars movie franchise." Impero said giggling slightly.

"Yeah! That was rather funny! I heard it drove the other British Battleship Girls absolutely crazy." Italia said giggling as well, that remark got everyone else giggling as well, a Battleship Girl who until her summoning hadn't even heard of Star Wars, saw the movie a New Hope and fell in love with the franchise.

XXXX

Enterprise took a deep breath as she entered the Carrier Barracks at Naval Base/District Pearl Harbor she was greeted immediately by Essex and Boxer. The two were part of the _Essex_ -class of Aircraft Carrier Girl, while they may have been larger and carried more aircraft than her, and were kept in active commission longer, or at least for three were still afloat, having been recommissioned as Escort Carriers. Most of the _Essex_ -class Carrier Girls preferred to wear either Service Khaki, Navy Service Uniform, or Service Dress Yankee, however three members of _Essex_ -class preferred to wear NWUs, because during their service careers they each had an incident with a major fire and a series of explosions on board. One member who preferred NWUs had been killed during Operation Skyfall however the other two members those members had been Franklin, Bunker Hill, and Oriskany, were still alive and in service. Another characteristic about the _Essex_ -class Carrier Girls was the fact that they all had either green or blue eyes as well as red hair of varying shades, they usually cut a slim figure that was more muscular than it looked plus the _Essex_ -class girls were usually about 6 feet 6 inches tall, but they all appeared to be around 19 or 20 from looks alone. However they all respected Enterprise mainly because of her actions during WWII.

"How ya doing E?" Boxer asked as she greeted the older carrier proffering her hand, which Enterprise took and shook firmly. "Not bad Boxer, if I do say so myself. Let me guess you want to hear about how Operation: Bunkershot went?" Enterprise asked.

"No, but I heard about Hornet. I hope you aren't beating yourself up over it E, like you did with Franklin." Essex stated.

"No, she wouldn't want that. Still, I wish Yorktown was here. But she's still undergoing shakedown cruises after having been rebuilt after the hammering she took during the Battle for Easter Island which was in 2016, she was in for repairs for roughly the rest of the war." Enterprise said ruefully.

"Yeah at least she survived, because I don't know what I would have done, if you lost both Yorktown and Hornet, because all of us Carriers took the loss of Franklin hard, particularly us _Essex_ 's." Boxer said.

Enterprise nodded, "Yeah, if I lost both Hornet and Yorktown. I have no idea what I would have done, maybe would have made closer ties to Wasp, because even though she was a one ship class, she was based of the _Yorktown_ -class hull design. In a way she's sort of a cousin. Or maybe I would have gotten a lot more serious, but I really don't know." She admitted.

"Yeah, besides E. They are showing the movie Battleship in the District Theater tonight, I have never seen it, but I want to see it. You want to come along?" Essex asked.

"Sure why not? I haven't heard of that movie before." Enterprise said.

"Good to hear! The movie, starts in roughly two hours, should be enough time for us to go, the Bar for dinner and then head to the theater." Boxer said with energy.

"Alright, let's go." Essex said and with that the three Carriers headed out to Dinner & Show.

XXXX

Alas what Kirov, Sverdlov, and Balch did after they returned to Murmansk hasn't been found out, in fact they never appeared back on base after Task Force Savior its mission complete was disbanded, their fates wouldn't be discovered until around the time that the British managed retake the Falkland Islands from the Abyssal. However, when the three didn't show for and five days passed after the day they were supposed to arrive, Admiral Nikola declared them, with a heavy heart MIA. Missing in Action.

XXXX

Surcouf walked back into the Submarine barracks at Brest, utterly exhausted from having to travel as far as she had to. She made a mental note to go have some physical therapy done at some point during the week.

"Hey Surcouf! How are you doing?" A familiar voice called out, sounding happy to see her. Surcouf turned and grinned, it was Iris formally the _Minerve_ -class submarine _Iris_. She was nowhere near as tall as Surcouf was, roughly about the same size as I-168. She had long dirty blonde hair and grey eyes that seemingly glowed with cunning, intelligence, and bravery. She was dressed like most submarines did, she was wearing a simple swimsuit that was red and gold with pink accents.

"Not bad actually. However, please just let me sleep, okay? I am exhausted and not really in the mood." Surcouf said.

"Okay, sure thing boss." Iris said and then she sauntered off, probably to look at pictures of cats on her laptop.

"Thanks Iris" Surcouf said quietly then walked toward her room to get some sleep.

XXXX

Perkins was bored. With Balch providing the two Russian Cruisers ASW escort and most of her sisters being transferred to the Asiatic Station to boost the amount of ASW muscle that was in that area, she was fairly certain she was the only _Gearing_ -class Destroyer Girl still at Pearl Harbor. She figured she get some training in, as she headed to the range however she bumped into someone. To her surprise it was Walker the little Four-stacker that had made Operation: Bunkershot possible. A few moments later a few more surprises walked around the corner. They were Mahan, Kitakami, Ooi, and Hidoiame.

"Oh hey, uh what's your name?" Walker asked.

"Perkins, nice to meet you Walker." Perkins said as she offered her hand, which Walker took and shook it.

"Perkins, this is my unit Torpedo Division One. If you ask me, a pretty unique arrangement but I like it." Walker said, gesturing to the ship girls behind her, who either waved, nodded, or Hidoiame's case bowed slightly.

"You got that right, it is unique. However Walker, without you Operation: Bunkershot likely would have taken a long time before we found that camp. You made a brilliant tactical decision and you are to be commended." Perkins said.

"Thank you, now if you don't mind we got a movie to catch. It starts in literally ten minutes." Walker said.

"Walker what is the name of the movie? Do you know?" Perkins asked.

"It's called Battleship." Mahan replied before Walker could who nodded.

"Count me in!" Perkins said, she hadn't seen the movie, but watching a movie sounded a heck of a lot better than doing the training she had planned on doing.

XXXX

Dutch Harbor was with Gaum heading out to the Ship Girl Memorial at Pearl. They were both well rested and eager to transfer to the Indian Ocean Theater. However first they had to do something before they left for Perth/Freemantle Australia.

As the two walked up to the Memorial they brought out the flowers they had. When they got to the memorial, they changed out the flowers in two of the flower holders, then knelt down to pray.

 _Newport, if you're up there, I just wish that you could protect us the best you can when we go to the Indian Ocean Theater._ Dutch Harbor thought as she knelt in prayer.

 _Alaska, i-if you are up there watching over us. I wish that you please do what you can to make sure that nothing horrible befalls our brothers in arms; while we are in the Indian Ocean Theater._ Gaum thought as she prayed.

As the two stood up, a warm breeze came off the ocean, the refreshing air blowing in their faces. It was as if, the two fallen ship girls were answering their prayers.

XXXX

Striker, returned to Perth/Freemantle Australia with DESRON 67 and 68 as well as MINRON 3. She quickly meet up with her friends exchanged a few stories before going to the club and firing up one of the Gaming Computers there and booting up World of Warships.

While she was good at the game, she was really just 'Joe Average', but she didn't care all she cared right now was unwinding and relieving some stress before the next major Operation/Campaign began.

XXXX

Kentucky, well need I seriously have to say where she was after this Operation at first? (Someone throws a rock which hits writer in the head, writer yelps then picks up rock, and reads the note that says 'YES!') Fine, she was at the Theater, watching the movie Battleship with a good amount of the rest of the Ship girls who hadn't been transferred to Perth/Freemantle Australia.

XXXX

A/N: This is the final chapter of Kancolle: The Iron Bottom Sound Saga; it's solid. However I had a blast writing it, I am sure you had a blast reading it. However, I will be putting up a story that reveals the fate of Kirov, Sverdlov, and Balch. I can tell you right now, that it will probably be tragic. Anyway if you have any comments please leave a review.

As always, keep an eye on your 180 and give them hell! (I play Silent Hunter IV: Wolves of the Pacific) 


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